Bangalore Microscopy Course

About 

The 16th Bangalore Microscopy Course (BMC) will be organized at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, India during 20th - 27th September 2026.

This course is jointly organized by NCBS, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) and Tata Institute for Genetics & Society (TIGS).

Taught by world leaders in biological microscopy, the course offers comprehensive didactic and hands-on training in state-of-the-art optical microscopy techniques. Topics will span from basic microscopy to super-resolution imaging. Research seminars detailing applications of light microscopy to address specific biological questions will also be part of the program. Lectures will be complemented by hands-on training in a dedicated teaching laboratory equipped with many state-of-the-art microscopes. 

Over the years, the Bangalore Microscopy Course has become a key meeting point for the Indian and international imaging community, serving as a platform where academia and industry interact, new technologies are introduced and future microscopy leaders are trained.

Organisers 

Satyajit Mayor, NCBS, Bengaluru & University of Warwick, UK
H Krishnamurthy, NCBS, Bengaluru
Venkatesan Iyer, C-CAMP, Bengaluru
M Sarvajith, NCBS, Bengaluru
Rahul Roy, IISc, Bengaluru
Arjun Guha,  InStem, Bengaluru
Minhaj Sirajuddin,  InStem, Bengaluru
Pratik Kumar, NCBS, Bengaluru 
 
Course faculty
 
Arjun Guha, InStem, Bengaluru
Hari Shrolf, Janelia Research campus, USA 
Nico Stuurman, UCSF, USA
Nithin Mohan, IIT Kanpur
Minhaj Sirajuddin, InStem Bengaluru
Pratik Kumar, NCBS, Bengaluru
Rahul Roy, IISc, Bengaluru
Satyajit Mayor, NCBS, Bengaluru & University of Warwick, UK
Thorsten Wohland, NUS, Singapore
Vinoth Kumar Kutti Raghunathan, NCBS, Bengaluru 
 

Course Overview

24 participants will be selected through a competitive selection process. The couse is deisgned for small number to ensure every participant individually gets sufficient time on various imaging stations during the hands-on training sessions.

International applications will be entertained from across the globe. Previous courses have had participants from Argentina, China, Singapore, Australia, USA, UK, Russia, Japan, Spain, South Africa, Germany, Switzerland, France, Nigeria, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Norway, Qatar, Hungary and Pakistan.

The course will be intense and will require full-time participation from morning till evening. Lectures will be combined with practical demonstrations and discussions with teachers. The course will cover many aspects of modern biological microscopy including microscope optics, associated hardware, fluorophores and sample preparation techniques. Participants can bring their own samples to image using the systems available at the course. Designated 'free time on microscopes' will be available practically every day of the course where the participants can explore a particular imaging system and image their samples.

A set of student independent projects will be provided for the final part of the course. An expert faculty/industry scientist will guide each of these projects. Participants can also design their own projects based on the instruments/techniques available at the course. In such case they will have to bring their own samples and reagents.

All major microscope companies and microscope hardware/software providers are attending and providing additional equipment and support to this course. The participants will have the opportunity to interact with technical experts from these companies as well as receive demonstrations of high-end equipment they bring as exhibits. Some of these equipment will also be included as part of the course.

Eligibility
This course is primarily intended for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, although exceptions can be made for junior faculty and talented post-graduate students or undergraduates. Those from the Industry involved in training, application support or research in optical microscopy are also welcome to apply.
Housing and fees
Comfortable on-campus accomodation will be provided at the NCBS campus.
Tuition fee: 
USD 800 for participants applying from institutions outside India
INR 20000 for participants applying from institutions within India.
The tuition fee covers all course materials, boarding and lodging.

Travel

Participants are responsible for arranging and covering their cost of travel to NCBS, Bengaluru.

Application procedure

Apply by scanning the QR code and upload the following documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae 

2. A short write-up on how Bangalore Microscopy Course will help you in your research

3. At least one letter of recommendation preferably from your supervisor supporting your application

Course schedule

Will be announced soon