International experts gather in Berlin to explore cutting-edge fluorescence methods, technologies, and applications
From September 26 to 28, 2023, PicoQuant hosted the 28th International Workshop on Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Super-resolution Microscopy in Berlin, Germany. The in-person event welcomed 91 participants from 20 countries, creating a vibrant platform for scientific exchange and collaboration.
The workshop featured a comprehensive program with 28 talks and 41 poster presentations, covering a broad spectrum of life science applications and newly developed fluorescence techniques. Renowned invited speakers from leading institutions worldwide shared insights into topics such as single molecule FRET, super-resolution microscopy, quantum-level molecular dynamics, and advanced fluorescence correlation methods.
A key highlight of the event was the live demonstration of PicoQuant’s new Luminosa microscope, showcasing the latest advancements in FLIM and single molecule FRET. Attendees also had the opportunity to explore newly introduced technologies, including the the high-precision time tagging and TCSPC unit PicoHarp 330 and the snAPI python wrapper, both designed to enhance flexibility and performance in fluorescence research.
Beyond the scientific program, the workshop fostered meaningful networking through a conference dinner and a social get-together following the poster session. These informal settings encouraged discussions, idea exchange, and the strengthening of international collaborations.
Invited Speakers
Victoria Birkedal
Aarhus University, Denmark
“Conformational dynamics of G-rich DNA helicase roadblocks by single molecule FRET”
Scott Blanchard
St. Jude Research, USA
“Progress and challenges towards establishing direct links between single-molecule FRET and static three-dimensional structural information”
Johannes Broichhagen
Leibniz-FMP Berlin, Germany
“Optimizing dyes and conjugates for modern microscopy”
Katrin Heinze
Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Germany
“Unraveling fast GPCR mobility and binding: A multidimensional fluorescence approach”
Ralf Jungmann
Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
“Localizomics: spatial omics using DNA-based super-resolution microscopy”
Madhavi Krishnan
University of Oxford, UK
“Rapid, high-precision molecular analytics exploiting high-throughput single molecule trapping in solution”
Sudipta Maiti
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India
“Understanding oligomers in the membrane: molecule by molecule”
Bidyut Sarkar
RIKEN, Japan
“Resolving structure-dynamics-function relationship of a noncoding RNA with a microsecond time resolution using 2D fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy”
Sonja Schmid
Wageningen University, The Netherlands
“The timing of life at the nanoscale”
Paul Wiseman
McGill University, Canada
“Digging deeper into the molecular noise: data mining fluorescence microscopy and STED super-resolution images using k-space image correlation”
Program
The program of the 28th Single Molecule Workshop in 2023 is available for download as a PDF.
Student Award
Supporting early-career researchers remained an important focus of the workshop. The “Best Student Talk” award recognized outstanding contributions from young scientists. Congratulations to this year’s winners:
Susanne C.M. Reinhardt, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
“Ångström-resolution fluorescence microscopy via Resolution Enhancement by Sequential Imaging (RESI)”
Philipp R. Steen, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
“Optimal fluorophores and spectral multiplexing for 3x faster DNA-PAINT”
Gregor J. Gentsch, University of Jena, Germany
“Nanotexture enables computational multiplexing of super-resolved intracellular structures with high fidelity”
The 2023 workshop once again demonstrated PicoQuant’s strong commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering a global community of researchers in single molecule spectroscopy and super-resolution microscopy.
Impressions
