Biological Motions through the Lens: An Advanced Light Microscopy Workshop for Middle School, High School, and Community College STEM Educators

Thursday, August 14 and Friday, August 15, 2014
Weihong Qiu, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, OSU
Bo Sun, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, OSU
Kari van Zee, Program Coordinator, STEPs, OSU

Funding provided by the Soeldner Campbell Fund

How do scientists watch the movement of single biological molecules or single cells?
How do motor proteins move cargo inside cells? How do can we study cancer cell migration?

Join biological physicists Drs. Weihong Qiu and Bo Sun to explore the new Advanced Light Microscopy Facility at OSU. Learn how researchers use advanced microscopy methods to observe the actions of individual biological molecules. Work with these investigators to study the real time movement of molecular motor proteins actively transporting cargo along microtubules and reconstruct the morphology and migration of breast cancer cells. Following lectures and demonstrations, participants will prepare and analyze samples with a Zeiss total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope and a Leica laser scanning confocal (LSC) microscope. Participants will learn how to analyze experimental data using NIH ImageJ software. A roundtable discussion with scientists and graduate students will focus on brainstorming ideas for projects to engage middle school, high school and community college students in biological physics and developing collaborations with the researchers.

Thursday, August 14th Oregon State University, Corvallis campus
8:15-8:30 Introductions
8:30-10:00 Visualizing the Movement of Individual Biological Motors using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy, Dr. Weihong Qiu,
10:15-11:45 Picturing an Immortal Cell Point by Point using Laser Scanning Microscopy, Dr. Bo Sun.
11:45-1:00 Lunch provided
1:00-4:00 Demonstrations of TIRF and LSC Microscopy

Friday, August 15th Oregon State University, Corvallis campus
8:45-11:30 Hands-on TIRF microscopy experiment and data analysis with sample TRIF data set Small groups will be formed for these experiments. .
11:30-12:30 Lunch provided
12:30-3:15 Hands-on TIRF microscopy experiment and data analysis with sample TRIF data set Small groups will be formed for these experiments.
3:30-4:30 Round table discussion with scientists brainstorming ideas for projects to engage middle school, high school and community college students in biological physics.

To register, email Kari van Zee at vanzeek@science.oregonstate.edu by August 1, 2014. Include Name, Grade/Subject, and School as well as summer phone number and e-mail address. Workshop limited to 20 participants. Limited funds are available to cover the cost of hotel+ breakfast for educators living more than 80 miles away. Questions contact Kari van Zee, vanzeek@science.oregonstate.edu, 541-737-1773