The Bordeaux Imaging Center, a France-BioImaging facility, has secured new structural funding to strengthen its biological imaging capabilities. Supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and the European Union through FEDER (European Regional Development Fund), two major projects led by the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience and the Bordeaux Imaging Center have been selected: MINFLUX and IMPACT.

With nearly €3 million in FEDER funding, complemented by investments secured through France 2030 and the State-Region Plan Contract (CPER), almost €5 million will contribute to the development of imaging technologies for the Bordeaux scientific community.

MINFLUX and IMPACT: two structuring projects for biological imaging

The MINFLUX project will enable the installation of the first MINFLUX microscope in France and south-western Europe. Installed at the Bordeaux Imaging Center, this equipment represents a major advance for observing individual molecules with nanometric precision.

The IMPACT project will equip the BIC with new multiphoton imaging tools to explore molecular interactions within thick living tissues with enhanced depth and precision. These technologies will open up new perspectives in a wide range of fields, from neuroscience and cell biology to microbiology, plant biology and oncology.

Strengthening imaging capabilities in Bordeaux

These investments are part of a broader effort to develop optical and electron imaging technologies in Bordeaux. This reinforcement will also include the acquisition of a Cryo-FIB-SEM, a unique instrument in the Bordeaux region, made possible via France-BioImaging BIOGEN project within the framework of France 2030 investment plan.

Together, these instruments will help provide the scientific community with access to advanced imaging technologies capable of observing living systems at different scales, from tissues to molecular structures.

By consolidating its technological capabilities, Bordeaux confirms its position among Europe’s leading hubs for biological imaging, serving research, innovation and scientific collaborations.

As a national research infrastructure, France-BioImaging supports the development and access to advanced biological imaging technologies across France. Through its facilities, including the Bordeaux Imaging Center, the infrastructure contributes to strengthening the technological environment available to the life sciences community and to supporting scientific excellence at national and European levels.