Seminar Aim

Held annually at a different University location in China, this seminar has been aimed at widening the understanding of fluorescence spectroscopy, its instrumentation and applications to professionals in a wide range of research fields. Participants are generally professional researchers in  chemistry, physics and the life sciences who use fluorescence and who wish to obtain a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of fluorescence spectroscopy and its applications. A hands-on session with state of the art spectroscopy equipment allows participants to experience steady state and lifetime experiments first hand.

Seminar Programme

The seminar programme included 3 days of lectures and hands-on experimental sessions. The issues covered by the seminar ranged from an in-depth introduction of fluorescence spectroscopy to more advanced themes on data analysis and applications. State of the art instruments such as the FLS920 and the LP920 were presented as well as a thorough introduction to the principles of Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC). An overview of topics is listed below:

Fluorescence Instrumentation

Photon Counting Techniques

Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting

Developments in TCSPC Light Sources

Microscope  Applications and Instrumentation

Plate Reader developments (lifetime and steady state)

Integrating Spheres and PLQY Experiments

Fluorescence Anisotropy

Fluorescence Anisotropy

Up-conversion Spectroscopy

Pump-Probe Experiments

Ti:Sapphire Lasers in Spectroscopy

A range of presentations and discussions were held with respects to fluorescence instrumentation and its applications. The Edinburgh Instruments range of spectrometers such as the FLS920, Nanotaurus plate reader as well as the laser flash photolysis LP920 systems were showcased. A wide variety of accessories and instrument configurations were also presented to give the participants an overview of the various applications that can be met with state of the art spectroscopy equipment. Applications ranging from microscope integration or plate reader modules were illustrated.

Invited Speakers

Key-note presentations were given this year by the following prominent scientists:

Hand's On Experimental Sessions

Experimental sessions were held to enable participants to get hand's on experience with Fluorescence Spectrometers for both lifetime and steady state system. The FLS920 spectrometer with NIR-PMT was used to illustrate the wide range of experiments that can be performed using this type of instrument. Participants were able to perform sample measurements and discuss experimental techniques with experienced users of these systems.

Experimental sessions included demonstrations of:

     Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) measurements

     fluorescence lifetime measurements using a nanosecond flash lamp or picosecond diode laser,

     phosphorescence lifetime measurements,

     steady state UV-VIS spectra as well as single photon counting measurements in the NIR to 1700nm,

     principles of experimental protocols and data handling

Location

The seminar was held from the 30th of October to the 2nd of November in Fuzhou, China and was organised by Titan Electro-Optics Co. Ltd and Edinburgh Instruments. The hand's on experiments were performed at the  laboratories of Dr. Ma’en and Dr. Li Buhong and we would like to thank them both for their kind assistance.