Hands-On Classes 2026

Students will be introduced to basic methods in immunofluorescence. The course focuses on labeling different markers for diverse structures, such as nerve fibers or immune cells found in the skin. Preparation of sections and staining will be performed. Afterwards, the stained skin sections will be analyzed using a fluorescence microscope.

This course will address the opportunities and pitfalls of visualizing scientific research. From a conceptual as well as practical point of view, participants will learn how to optimize illustrations for presentations, posters and manuscripts.

In this workshop the participants will learn some of the basics of electrophysiological barrier analysis using an Ussing chamber. Furthermore, they will virtually join an experiment of Two-path impedance spectroscopy. Using the gained data they will determine the para- and transcellular barrier and permeability properties. Participants should provide their email address.

The seminar deals with the importance of social interactions and social support in everyday life for pain. Ecological momentary assessment, a modern research method for investigating pain in everyday life, is presented. Participants also learn about measures, areas of application, and design options for ecological momentary interventions. In group exercises, participants can explore different areas of application.

In this workshop you will get hands-on experience with induced pluripotent stem cells and sensory-like neurons derived from them. We will compare their morphology under the microscope and look at specific markers that identify each cell type. In the end, we will use patch clamp to record electrical activity, watching neurons fire action potentials.

The hands-on session will be in two parts, a short lecture about the basics of machine learning, and a hands-on session, where participants dive through pre-written simple codes covering the following aspects:

- Common machine learning models used in clinical studies

- Deep learning models

- Large language models

Basic knowledge of python is all that is needed.

Participants are highly encouraged to bring their laptops.

In this course, we will provide practical tips for RNA isolation from various materials (such as DRG, nerves, and fixed tissues), discuss RNA quality criteria, compare reverse priming strategies, test RNA sample comparability, and demonstrate how to evaluate RNA-Seq raw data prior to computational analysis.