Launched earlier this year in coordination with the African BioImaging Consortium and Imaging Africa and within the framework of the Horizon Europe Programme, the Africa-France Joint Initiative for Biological Imaging aims at extending its partnership with colleagues in Africa that have interest in using advanced microscopy approaches for their own research programs and projects. With this in mind, we have previously designed two calls for funding: one for access to FBI’s bioimaging core facilities, the other as a twinning program.

Good news! Our first project has started! Granted by our second call, the Twinning program has begun between Stellenbosch University and FBI-Paris Node. A fantastic experience based on sharing practices, knowledge transfer and many fruitful discussions on image analysis and correlative approaches between light sheet and serial block face microscopy techniques. For the South African partner, Madelaine Frazenburg (Stellenbosch University), it is the opportunity to see how other microscopy laboratories in France works but also to learn more about cryo-SEM and to study new kind of sample preparation methods. From the French side, Ludovic Leconte (Institut Curie, FBI Paris-Centre node) is indeed very interested in gaining new experience in electron microscopy mainly in Serial Block Face, another tissue section imaging that is not available on his site and for which the Stellenbosch imaging platform has the mastery.

Our warmest thanks to Lize Engelbrecht, Professor Ben Loos and Janica Conradie for making this event possible and for the warm welcome they extended. The second stage of this “Twinning” project will take place at Institut Curie next spring. We look forward to welcoming Madelaine!

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