[PCA] COURSE: Microscopic ID & Characterization of Botanicals and Plant Materials (College Park, MD)

[Olivia Kwong]

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From: "Ziobro, George C" <george.ziobro at fda.hhs.gov>

Microscopic Identification and Characterization of Botanicals and Plant 
Materials

Objective:

To introduce the student to the terms, techniques, and literature used to 
identify unknown botanical material as a basis for further study.

Goals:

During this course the student is expected to learn basic optical theory 
and to have enough practice that they become comfortable purchasing, 
maintaining, and using compound light microscopes, brightfield, and 
polarized light for the analysis of plant material.  The student is 
expected to learn the value of voucher specimens, the diagnostic features 
of ground plant material and where to go in order to get information on 
botanical nomenclature, literature, botany, and plant anatomy.

This is an intensive five day course with an approximately equal mixture 
of lecture and hands on training.  At the end of the course the student 
should be able to write a brief monograph identifying the different cell 
types present in the sample and use the web to gather additional 
information on plant taxonomy. Maximum class size is 12 with a teacher to 
student ratio of 1:6.

Date:

March 10 - 13, 2008, 8:00 am- 4-30 pm and March 14, 8:00 am to noon.

Location:
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
College Park, Maryland

Cost: This course has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, 
Office of Dietary Supplements.  The participants are responsible for their 
own travel, lodging, and meals while attending the course.  There is a $50 
registration fee.

Date:
March 10 - 13, 2008, 8:00 am- 4-30 pm and March 14, 8:00 am to noon.

Location:
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
College Park, Maryland

Instructors: George C. Ziobro, Ph.D.
          Stanley Cichowicz (FDA retired)

Registration: Contact Mr. Stanley Cichowicz at microscopist at yahoo.com

Course Topics:

Brightfield and Polarized Light Microscopy:
          Basic Optics
          Purchasing a microscope
          Adjusting -Koehler illumination.
          Calibrating an ocular micrometer and basic measurements.

Botanical Nomenclature:
          Common names
          Latin binomials
          Authors

Reference Specimens:

Herbarium specimens:
          Ground and chopped specimens
          Making a plant collection
          Cataloging a collection

Basic Botany:
          Plant families
          Plant Organs
          Plant tissues

Reference Literature:

Diagnostic Features of Ground Plant Material:

Laboratory techniques
          Rehydrating and clearing dried material
          Powdering, grinding, and chopping

Slide making techniques:
          Tools
          Reagents
          Particle handling
          Chemistry on the microscope slide

Documentation of analytical results:
          Value of images
          Sample integrity
          Monographs