Over the past 15 years, researchers at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute have gained extensive experience in organizing training courses and educational seminars at both the national and international levels. These activities have provided specialized scientific knowledge and hands-on training opportunities to early-career and experienced scientists alike. Several of these courses were introduced in Greece for the first time and offered innovative approaches to scientific education and professional development. A significant body of educational and training material was developed through these initiatives.
Between 2000 and 2017, the Hellenic Pasteur Institute organized the following training courses and educational seminars through competitive projects funded by national and international organizations.
Αdvanced Photonic Microscopy Training Seminars
1st Seminar: Applications of Photonic Microscopy Methods in Biomedical Research and Diagnostics
2nd Seminar: Advanced Photonic Microscopy Methods and Their Applications in Biomedical Research and Diagnostics
Organizers: Dr. Dimitra Thomaidou and Dr. Charalambia Boleti (More information, Poster, Programme, Training Materials)
These two advanced training seminars were organized at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute within the framework of the Hellenic Photonic Microscopy Network, coordinated by the Institute between 2004 and 2006 in collaboration with the University of Ioannina, the Biomedical Research Institute of FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas) in Ioannina, and the University of Crete.
The seminars combined theoretical lectures with hands-on laboratory training. The theoretical component covered the fundamental principles of photonic microscopy, including bright-field and fluorescence microscopy, as well as the advances made possible through the integration of digital imaging technologies with optical microscopy. Participants were also introduced to the principles and applications of confocal microscopy.
Particular emphasis was placed on the applications of photonic microscopy in biomedical research and medical diagnostics, especially in the fields of infectious diseases, cell biology, and neuroscience. The seminars also presented state-of-the-art technologies, including fluorescent protein-based imaging and advanced techniques such as FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer), FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching), and FCS (Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy). In addition, modern approaches to in vivo imaging, including time-lapse video microscopy, were discussed by distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad.
The practical sessions were designed to provide participants with hands-on experience in sample preparation for conventional and confocal microscopy, staining techniques and reagents used for the visualization of intracellular molecular markers and cellular morphology, operation of upright and inverted microscopes, and the use of digital cameras and image acquisition software. Participants were also trained in digital image processing and analysis methodologies.
The activities of the Hellenic Photonic Microscopy Network were funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology through the programme Competitiveness – Human Research and Technology Training Networks. Additional support for the organization of the seminars was provided by private-sector partners, including HYGEIA Hospital, Analytical Instruments S.A., and LAB SUPPLIES. Analytical Instruments S.A., Scientific Instruments & Equipment, and Labor Science S.A. contributed equipment and technical personnel for the practical laboratory training sessions.
Programme Coordinator : Dr. Charalambia Boleti
Optical Microscopy Unit & Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute