Photo credits: Thomas Blank

Welcome to Trends in Microscopy (TiM) 2027

Interested in learning hands-on about the latest microscopy techniques? In the middle of the Swabian Alb together with scientific talks from distinguished guest speakers? Right on the pulse of the latest microscopy developments?

All this is offered at our “Trends in Microscopy”, the biennial conference of GerBI-GMB, alias GerBI-GMB Spring School! With hands-on workshops and scientific lectures by renowned guest speakers, TiM is an intensive microscopy training camp. The programme will also cover the fundamentals of optics as well as practical sessions on image analysis.

Participants will stay at the conference venue, a beautifully renovated former military base in the unspoilt landscape of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. TiM2027 is particularly aimed at PhD students, postdocs and members of core facilities.

Past TiM Events

History of TiM

The Trends in Microscopy (TiM) conference series was first launched in 2005 by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as a biennial event and has since become a well-established meeting for both German and international researchers in the fields of light and electron microscopy. Held in cities such as Freiburg, Ulm, Bonn, New York, Berlin, Braunschweig, Würzburg, Dresden, and Düsseldorf, TiM has addressed both the development of advanced microscopy instruments and methods, as well as novel applications, while providing a platform for industry exhibitions.

In 2016, the German BioImaging Network joined as a co-organizer, and by 2018, TiM became the biennial meeting of the newly founded German BioImaging – Gesellschaft für Mikroskopie und Bildanalyse e.V. (German BioImaging – Society for Microscopy and Image Analysis, GerBI-GMB).

A major shift occurred in March 2020 when TiM adopted a more hands-on, practice-oriented format, which was met with great enthusiasm. The revamped conference now serves both German and international research groups in light and electron microscopy, as well as scientists specializing in image data analysis and management. Expanding on the traditional conference model, TiM offers not only selected lectures and poster presentations but also immersive hands-on workshops. These workshops provide participants with the opportunity to engage directly with advanced microscopy or image data analysis techniques, demonstrated through real experiments drawn from ongoing research projects.

Over twenty different microscopy systems – supplied by manufacturers and research groups – are made available during the conference. Additionally, a fully equipped S1 cell culture laboratory is set up on-site for sample preparation, simulating a real-world research environment where participants can gain practical experience and, for example, conduct comparative imaging on different systems.

Another key feature of TiM is its focus on image data management. In collaboration with the DFG-funded I3D:bio project and the NFDI4BIOIMAGE, TiM offers a unique environment for testing the complete workflow of image data management with a diverse group of users.

For the past TiM2025, have a look at the event website for more impressions.