EMBO Practical Course — FISHing for RNAs: classical to single molecule approaches

Over the past decades it became evident that a RNA transcripts specific amount and localisation are important in order to understand the biological function of its (non-) coding gene. Whereby state-of-the-art in situ hybridisation (ISH) technologies are key to visualise these RNAs in a given tissue or cell. This course aims to highlight three powerful RNA visualisation techniques in histological tissue samples. During this course, the participants will learn to validate the cellular localisation of candidate genes from transcriptome studies through conventional ISH and, the more recent cutting-edge, smFISH (Single Molecule Fluorescent ISH) and HCR-ISH (Hybridization Chain Reaction), based RNA ISH hybridisation methods. Additionally, the course will also cover essential tissue embedding protocols that are adapted for use in visually interrogating RNA transcripts in mammalian tissues.