Could you introduce yourself and your role within the Rhône-Alpes node?

The Rhône-Alpes node brings together the large imaging communities of Lyon and Grenoble. I’m Xavier Jaurand and I’m co-leading the node with Olivier Destaing. This  way of co-sharing responsibility is at the heart of our project in order to have synergy of both science-technology and Grenoble-Lyon communities. This organization has been transposed at the different levels of our node, through duo of peoples from Lyon and Grenoble invested in the multiple working group of FBI. 

Having organization with shared responsibilities is always a challenge and take time, but present the advantages of being potentially highly robust and well accepted by large communities.

Which platforms and R&D teams compose your node?

There are 2 main platforms on the nodes (ISDV and LyMIC):

• For the Grenoble part, the ISDV (Imagerie Science du Vivant) network is composed by 7 platforms (LBFA, Liphy, PIC-GIN, ME-GIN, MicroCell-IAB, MuLife-CEA, TIMC, M4D-IBS)
• For the Lyon part, the associated facility is LyMIC (Lyon Multiscale Imaging Center) which is the federation of 3 imaging platforms: PLATIM (south of Lyon), CIQLE (east of Lyon) and CTµ (north of Lyon).

There are both biology and Physics R&D teams:

• ILM UMR5306 Team Dehoux – Unique expertise in Brillouin microscopy for imaging cells and tissues at various scales.
  
• RDP UMR5667 Team Ingram – Measuring cell hydrostatic pressure and cell wall properties is challenging but of critical importance in the field of plant biology.
  
• IGFL UMR5242 Team Enriquez/Ghavi-Helm – The Spatial-Cell-ID EQUIPEX facility enhance the spatial resolution of MERFISH by pinpointing transcripts of specific genes (ranging from a few to thousands) in situ, achieving cellular and subcellular precision over time.
  
• IAB UMR5309 Team Destaing – the lab is focused on coupling optogenetics, biosensors and metabolism imaging through FLIM imaging.
  
• Liphy UMR5588 Team Dupont – The OPTIMA team brings together expertise in imaging (optical, acoustic, X-ray) to develop new instruments, explore the physics of wave-matter interactions, and address biological and biomedical challenges where its scientific and technical know-how provides significant added value.
  
• Liphy UMR5588 Team Débarre – The MC2 team conducts interdisciplinary research at the crossroads of mechanics, physics, and life sciences to investigate, across scales, the dynamics and interactions of biological or bioinspired systems in complex environments.
  
• GIN U1216 Team Pernet-Gallay – The electronic microscopy facility is located at the Grenoble Institute for Neuroscience (GIN, INSERM U1216, UGA) and proposes classic epoxy resin embedding for morphological analysis, as well as the Tokuyasu protocol for immunogold labeling on cryosections.

Which are the main application domains of your node?

Can you share a scientific or technical success achieved within your node?

Over the past two years, our node’s scientific impact is reflected by the co-authorship of our core facility staff in several high-profile publications, covering topics from immunology to molecular imaging and dermatology:

• Functional diversity of NLRP3 gain-of-function mutants associated with CAPS autoinflammation (2024) J Exp Med. doi.org/10.1084/jem.20231200
• Sperm motility in mice with Oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia restored by in vivo injection and electroporation of naked mRNA (2024) eLife. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.94514.1
• Nanoassemblies of Chitosan-Based Polyelectrolyte Complexes as Nucleic Acid Delivery Systems (2024) Biomacromolecules. doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00054
• RNAP II antagonizes mitotic chromatin folding and chromosome segregation by condensin (2024) Cell Reports. doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113901
• Dermal stiffness governs the topography of the epidermis and the underlying basement membrane in young and old human skin (2024) Aging Cell. doi.org/10.1111/acel.14096
• Plasmacytoid dendritic cell sensing of hepatitis E virus is shaped by both viral and host factors (2024) Life Sci Alliance. doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202503256

On the technical side, our node has recently strengthened its infrastructure and expertise through major investments and upgrades, ranging from state-of-the-art microscopy systems to reinforced image analysis capacities and dedicated staffing:

• Purchase and deployement of new and unique material at Lyon: AFM coupled to an inverted epifluorescence microscope, equipped with a motorized and piezoelectric stage (Hybrid Stage) that enables the acquisition of measurements on samples extended in the plane (e.g., tissue sections) or in height (e.g., whole tissues/organs).
• Upgrade of confocal microscopy ressources: We replaced our aging Leica SP5X with a Leica Stellaris 5, featuring TauSense temporal dimension imaging and a resonnant scanner. Funding was secured through a strategic partnership between the university, region, and internal investment. A new spinning disk system was integrated to a FastFLIM-TIRF module in order to provide new metabolic imaging possibilities in 4-5D.
• Enhance STED FLIM capabilities: We equipped our Abberior STED system with a FLIM module, delivering super-resolved temporal imaging with < 40 nm spatial resolution while preserving excellent time and signal fidelity. This integration enables dynamic, quantitative imaging of molecular interactions and environments.
• Strengthen image-analysis infrastructure: We deployed three dedicated workstations equipped with AI-assisted tools such as for segmentation and analysis. These platforms enable advanced processing, rapid 3D visualization, and robust quantification, empowering both academic and translational research workflows.
• Launch of a permanent image-analysis engineer role: In 2025, we transitioned from temporary contracts to a permanent research engineer position specialized in image analysis. This ensures stable expertise in AI-driven segmentation, 3D visualization, and quantitative imaging. The engineer also leads user training and engages actively in national (FBI) and European (NEUBIAS) working groups.

What are your perspectives following your node’s integration into France-BioImaging?

Following our integration into France-BioImaging, we aim to foster stronger connections between AURA’s users (academic users and private companies) and the opportunities offered by the infrastructure. We also seek to highlight and transfer original technologies (Brillouin imaging and quantitative RICM), improve access to advanced data management and image analysis to our user, and democrate these cultures to the numerous biology laboratories of Rhône-Alpes. We also plan to contribute to Euro-BioImaging initiatives, all while enhancing our international visibility.

To achieve these goals, our node is committed to participating in expert working groups (RTmfm network and FBI), deploying nationally shared training modules and engaging in joint technology developments in 3D tissue imaging, sample clearing, and multimodal microscopy. We will also continue to strengthen data and AI workflows, and we are proud to be preparing the organization of the France-BioImaging Annual Meeting in 2027.

Your node has recently joined Euro-BioImaging, what added value do you think you bring to the European community?

As part of a Euro-BioImaging fellowship, the MicroCell platform at IAB Grenoble hosted Sarah Vorsselmans and Susana Rocha (KU Leuven, Belgium). Together, we worked on the development of innovative FRET-based multiplexing molecular tension sensors, strengthening transnational expertise in molecular imaging

In April 2025, the LYMIC platform welcomed a job shadowing candidate from Germany for ten days. This exchange provided an opportunity to share practices on biological sample preparation for electron microscopy, as well as image analysis, data storage, and quality management.