As part of the BIOGEN project, supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR-24-INBS-0005 FBI BIOGEN), some facilities within France-BioImaging are progressively acquiring or upgrading advanced microscopy systems. These investments support a coordinated equipment mutualisation strategy, aligned with key priorities of the infrastructure, including super-resolution imaging and single-molecule tracking.

Among them, the ImagoSeine facility at the Institut Jacques Monod (Paris-Centre node) has recently strengthened its capabilities with the acquisition of a Stellaris TauSTED microscope.

This next-generation confocal system enables:

• Imaging deeper in the far-red spectrum thanks to an extended white light laser,
• 3D super-resolution imaging using STED technology, reaching resolutions down to ~70 nm,
• Reduced phototoxicity and photobleaching through TauSTED, leveraging fluorescence lifetime information to improve resolution without increasing laser power, a key advantage for live-cell imaging

Open to both academic and industrial users, this system supports a wide range of samples, from cells and tissues to organoids, embryos and whole organisms. The microscope is already contributing to studies on protein colocalisation in yeast membranes and chromosome dynamics during cell division.

This first example highlights how France-BioImaging is implementing its strategic roadmap by reinforcing access to cutting-edge technologies across its network. More updates will follow as the BIOGEN initiative progresses!