It is with deep sadness that the France-BioImaging community learned of Spencer Shorte’s passing.

Spencer Shorte was a highly esteemed member of France-BioImaging. As Director of the Institut Pasteur platform Imagopole at the time, then UTechS Photonic BioImaging, Spencer was involved right from the initial project of France-BioImaging (2011-2014), especially in the Paris Centre node structuration, where the connection between the Parisian platforms of Imagoseine (Institut Jacques Monod), Imagopole (Pasteur), PICT (Institut Curie) was key, notably for user transfers and the sharing of technical facilities in EM. He also was one of the driving forces behind the French RIO platform label, forerunner of the IBiSA quality label.

His contributions to the bioimaging landscape and platforms at the international stage, particularly in the coming of ELMI, the foundation of CTLS and more recently within Global-BioImaging, played a pivotal role in fostering the creation of a global network connecting all imaging stakeholders and promoting the dissemination of knowledge.

France-BioImaging will remember his energy, his active advocating for imaging core facilities and his important contributions to the French and international imaging community.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and colleagues.

Here is the memorial link to pay tribute to Spencer Shorte by sharing a personal message: https://hommage.inmemori.com/sshorte-e45je

France-BioImaging’s “Preclinical Microscopy” Working Group is organizing its next webinar on February 6th, 2025, from 14:00 to 16:00. The main objective of this Working Group is to advance multimodal microscopy of thick samples for preclinical studies.

During this webinar, you will have the opportunity to discuss the latest research, technologies, and regulatory frameworks related to photonic microscopy, spanning from the scale of organs/organoids to live animals.

Program:

14:00 – Welcoming and introduction

14:05 – “Exploring Mammary Gland Remodeling and Breast Cancer Therapies Through 3D Organoid Imaging” by Thomas Pelé (CRCI2NA, Nantes)

14:55 – Presentation on animal ethics (title to be confirmed) by Magali Jacquier (IPBS, Toulouse)

15:45 – Open discussion

Join the webinar:

Click here to join the Microsoft Teams meeting.

Please connect using your last name and first name so we can update the participants’ list.

France-BioImaging, the french national research infrastructure for biological imaging, offers external users* access to its state-of-the-art microbiological equipment and cutting-edge expertise. Simply submit your request by registering through the Euro-BioImaging portal to benefit from a wide range of advanced technologies and personalized support from our specialists!

Access: the benefits

  • Access more than 30 biological imaging facilities and specialized R&D laboratories across 10 regional nodes and 1 transversal bioinformatics node,
  • Receive funding to cover France-BioImaging equipment usage costs, up to €750 per week for a maximum of 3 weeks,
  • Explore a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, including Single Particle Tracking & Super Resolution / Multimodal & Quantitative fluorescence Microscopies / Multiscale & Correlative Microscopy / New Contrast & In-Depth Imaging…
  • Benefit from personalized support to assist you with the computational analysis of your data.

How to benefit from access?

To take advantage of the Access benefits, you need to fill out an online form via the Euro-BioImaging portal to create a research proposal. The entire application process takes around 2 to 3 weeks, and submissions can be made at any time of the year.

At certain times of the year, special calls for access are published, with specific criteria and deadlines. Stay tuned to catch these opportunities!

To learn more, visit our dedicated access web page!

*This registration process is open to:

  • any users from outside the institutional perimeter of France-BioImaging nodes (i.e. from outside the partner university of the Node) who would like to use imaging technologies in one of FBI nodes: Alsace, Toulouse, Paris Centre, Paris Ile-de-France-Sud, Marseille, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Bretagne-Loire, Normandie, Rhône-Alpes. They can be French or international users – EU and non-EU
  • or users from one France-BioImaging regional Node who want to access an equipment available in another FBI regional node.

On November 20 and 21, the France-BioImaging community gathered in Strasbourg for its Annual Meeting.

This event provided an opportunity for members from different nodes to discuss the future and latest updates of the infrastructure, as well as to discover each other’s projects, all centered around this year’s theme: “Live functional imaging: From chemical synthesis of the probes to instrumentation.” It was also the perfect occasion to introduce the recently joined nodes to the FBI community: Strasbourg, Rhône-Alpes, and Normandie.

If you couldn’t attend the event or would like to rewatch one of the presentations, the 2024 Annual Meeting videos are now available on YouTube!
Finding the presentation you’re interested in is easy — each video includes chapters with the titles of the topics presented and the speakers.

Enjoy watching!

For a second running year, France-BioImaging organizes its data machine learning competition: we introduce you Fuse My Cells challenge!

What is the Challenge?

France-BioImaging‘s Fuse My Cells challenge aims to advance new methods for 3D image-to-image fusion using deep learning in the fields of biology and microscopy.

The main objective of the Fuse My Cells challenge is to predict a fused 3D image using only one or two available 3D views, providing a practical solution to the limitations of current microscopy techniques, such as improving image quality, extending the duration of live imaging, saving on the photon budget, and facilitating image analysis.

More information about the challenge: https://fusemycells.grand-challenge.org/fusemycells/

How to participate?

As last year Challenge, the competition is divided in two phases:

  • Test phase (on three 3D images) to familiarize with the algorithm submission procedure, with the possibility to have five submissions (not taken into account in the final ranking)
  • Evaluation phase (on thirsty 3D images) with a single submission to obtain the final ranking. Algorithms must be tested in the Test phase and will not be tested in this phase.

So, you have until the end of the first phase, on February 28, 2025, to register and participate at this Fuse My Cells challenge. Nonetheless, you can start working on your preliminary algorithm and tests on January 31st, 2025 (with the release of the training database)!

What are the prizes?

For top 3 winners:

  • Award certificate
  • A challenge paper will be written with the organizing team’s members for submission to journals
  • Invitation to publish their methods in the proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging 2025s
  • Support and integration of open source code into open science image processing and analysis software (e.g. BioImage Model Zoo, Napari)

More information to come.

Why launching a challenge?

If successful, the Fuse My Cells challenge can lead to robust methods for image deep learning fusion processing. Then, it will be possible to use deep learning methods such as domain adaptation or transfer learning to apply these techniques to other microscope setups or modalities without multiview capabilities. This would result in better imaging quality and 3D resolution which will be able to improve segmentation, tracking, fewer artifacts and expanding the potential for biological imaging across different platforms and experimental setups.

  As the first project, Fuse My Cells is also based on points of interest:

  • Open source + FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
  • Supervised learning, it involves annotated datasets to maintain control over performances.
  • In silico annotations, a computer labeling method to avoid manual annotation and its drawbacks.
  • 3D image-to-image analysis tasks, an image analysis tasks which aim to predict an output image from the input image by training a deep learning algorithm on a database built for this task.
  • 3D image-to-image fusion/restauration (using deep learning)
  • 3D lightsheet microscopy images

For any questions, please contact Dorian Kauffmann: dorian.kauffmann@france-bioimaging.org.

The Euro-BioImaging All Hands Nodes meeting will take place from March 25–28 at EMBL Heidelberg. This meeting is a unique opportunity for all Euro-BioImaging Node members to share their latest updates and discuss the future of the infrastructure, including providing open access to high-end technologies and expertise.

The event will feature several sessions on technology and innovation, image data analysis and management, collaboration with industry, and plenary discussions on EVOLVE project priorities, such as training and outreach.

If you want to participate to this event, please fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScx6Y4W4BvKeHn3kPqWW3bLaHBIjm7irMDwY8xsaqmd0wsPtA/viewform

Explore the endless possibilities of microscopy through the 2025 FBI digital calendar!

Once again this year, the participants in the France-BioImaging Image Contest have outdone themselves, providing us with stunning microscopy images captured using a variety of techniques. These images also showcase the diversity of models and applications, highlighting the many possibilities offered by microscopy. Take a look at 12 of the 45 images submitted to the France-BioImaging Image Contest 2024!

A big thank you again to all the participants!

You can download the A4 print version (one month per page) 2025 FBI digital calendar here:

If you wish to use it as your computer desktop, you can download a PNG version of each month here:

L’institut CIML (Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille Luminy), membre du nœud marseillais de France-BioImaging, organise en mars 2025 une formation dédié à la microscopie confocale spectrale.

L’objectif de cette formation, ouverte aux ingénieurs et chercheurs utilisant la microscopie confocale, est d’acquérir en mode spectral un panel 10 couleurs sur coupe de tissu et analyser les images réalisées.

Pour vous inscrire, vous devez préalablement remplir le questionnaire disponible ici: https://france-bioimaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Questionnaire_Formation-microscopie-confocale-spectrale-mars-2025.pdf

Retrouvez le programme de la formation ci-dessous:

Vous avez jusqu’au 27 janvier 2025 pour vous inscrire et retourner le questionnaire complété!

Contact:

Hélène Pastor: Chargée de formation et du développement des ressources humaines – Inserm
demat-form.dr-marseille@inserm.fr

Inscription (aucune demande ne sera prise en compte sans le questionnaire):

  • Personnels Inserm ou non Inserm dans une structure mixte Inserm : inscription via www.sirene.inserm.fr + envoi du questionnaire à : demat-form.dr-marseille@inserm.fr (Région : Paca – Domaine : TS3 – Imagerie)
  • Autres personnels : formulaire d’inscription + questionnaire à transmettre à demat-form.dr-marseille@inserm.fr

The brand-new France-BioImaging Alsace Node hosted its first Annual Meeting, bringing together all France-BioImaging members in the historical city of Strasbourg. The event provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the future of the infrastructure, share the latest updates, and focus on this year’s theme: “Live Functional Imaging: From Chemical Synthesis of Probes to Instrumentation.”

Day 1: Welcome to Strasbourg!

The members of the Alsace Node warmly welcomed participants to their platforms in Strasbourg and Illkirch. The morning was dedicated to exchanging ideas around microscopy facilities and techniques.

The day continued at the stunning Bibliothèque Nationale et Universitaire (BNU) in the heart of Strasbourg. The auditorium hosted presentations from the Alsace Node and the two other new FBI nodes: Normandie and Rhône-Alpes. Participants also learned about the latest opportunities provided by Euro-BioImaging and the initiatives developed by the German BioImaging Society, GerBI, presented by Roland Nitschke.

A highlight of the day was the presentation of seven Tech Transfer projects laureates of 2023 and 2024 FBI Tech Transfer calls, showcasing successful examples of technological transfert from FBI R&D teams to FBI facilities.

Also, an update on FBI BioImage Informatics Node was provided by Charles Kervrann. Dorian Kauffmann presented the FBI Challenges 2024 and 2025, and the winner of the Light my cells 2024 Imaging Challenge: Bright Field to Fluorescence was invited to present her solution.

The day concluded on a high note with an Alsace wine tasting and a guided tour of Strasbourg’s charming old town!

Day 2: Scientific sessions

The second day delved deeper into the scientific theme of the meeting: “Live Functional Imaging: From Chemical Synthesis of Probes to Instrumentation.” Participants were treated to a series of insightful presentations by France-BioImaging members. These talks explored the development of new probes, how to optimize their optical properties and the creation of advanced instruments leveraging these innovations for life sciences. The expertise and richness of France-BioImaging’s nodes expertise were on full display.

Two distinguished keynote speakers enriched the sessions with their insights:

  • Ulrike Endesfelder (Bonn University, Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Germany)
  • Olivier Maury (ENS Lyon, Laboratoire de Chimie, France)

The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion on the challenges and opportunities of chemistry and bioimaging communities working together, providing a collaborative space for sharing perspectives and solutions.

These two days were a fantastic opportunity to connect, share achievements, and discuss future developments in bioimaging. See you next year in Normandie!

The NeurImag cellular and molecular imaging Facility, member of the Paris Centre Node of France-BioImaging, has initiated the development of a new tool called ExoJ, in collaboration with the teams of Guillaume Van Niel (CRCI2NA, Nantes University), Frederik Verweij (Utrecht University), Thierry Galli (IPNP, Inserm, Université Paris Cité) and Junjun Liu (Shandong First Medical University).

What is ExoJ?

ExoJ is a plugin developed for the Fiji/ImageJ2 software, specifically designed to automate the reliable detection and analysis of exocytosis events from fluorescence microscopy images. Exocytosis is a cellular process where molecules or substances contained within a cell are released to the extracellular environment. This process involves the fusion of a vesicle, a membrane-bound sac, with the cell membrane. Once fused, the contents of the vesicle are expelled into the extracellular space.

How does ExoJ work?

ExoJ automatically identifies user-defined exocytosis events. It extracts key quantitative information such as the intensity, apparent size and duration of each event. ExoJ is fully parameterizable and configurable, making it suitable for studying different types of exocytosis, whatever the imaging modality (TIRF [1] and/or spinning disk [2]). ExoJ is a robust and reliable tool for analyzing large datasets!

What are the benefits of ExoJ?

ExoJ automates the detection of exocytosis events, considerably reducing analysis time compared with manual annotation. Moreover, the results obtained are reproducible, facilitating comparisons between different experiments. Finally, ExoJ is based on Fiji/ImageJ2, an open-source software widely used in the scientific community.

To read the article, click here.

[1] Cois et al., 2024 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39145986/

[2] Hessvik et al., 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37285022/

France-BioImaging members Fabrice Cordelières, Perrine Paul-Gilloteaux and Caroline Thiriet attended ANERIS first Annual Meeting in Seville on November 26-27. During two days, the project’s partners shared updates on the progress of various tasks and activities within the consortium. The event showcased significant progress, fostered collaboration, and charted the way forward in advancing marine biodiversity monitoring technologies.

Day 1 began with a project overview from the project’s coordinator, highlighting key achievements and the project’s aim to tackle the rapid loss of ocean biodiversity by developing innovative tools and technology for monitoring, research and management of marine life.

Partners also presented updates on the 11 monitoring and life-sensing technologies and Perrine provided an in-depth overview on the latest developments in the AIES-MAC tool developed under the ANERIS project, which focuses on detecting and characterizing macro-organisms in underwater images. She highlighted the tool’s key features, improvements made since its initial development, and its ability to enhance the analysis of marine life captured in complex underwater environments.

The afternoon featured co-design sessions where teams defined Operational Marine Biology (OMB) products for the project’s four case studies and also worked on refining the draft infographics, combining input from across the consortium.

On Day 2, discussions shifted to cross-cutting topics such as infrastructure, training, communication, and exploitation. Ayoub El Ghadraoui, Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub team member and ANERIS project task leader, presented a detailed overview of the training activities held in the frame of ANERIS WP3 Task 3.7, where FBI is involved. A first series of online workshops were held in 2023 with a focus on introducing the fundamentals of AI in image processing and the 2024 workshops focused on Underwater Imaging, Bio-optic, and Participatory Technologies. During the meeting, Ayoub also informed the partners that the ANERIS Workshop 2 was endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, attesting to the relevance of this workshop for marine sciences.

The day concluded with work table sessions, where critical challenges were addressed, and consortium-wide priorities were established.

From February 6 to 7, 2025, the University of Rouen Normandie will host the 8th edition of the France Cerebellum Club Days. This year’s event will include a session dedicated to cerebellum bioimaging, highlighted by the Primacen imaging platform, a member of the Normandie Node of France-BioImaging.

The France Cerebellum Club is an organization aimed at promoting exchanges between scientists involved in the study of the cerebellum in all its modalities, using a variety of analysis methods.

This new edition will bring together researchers and industrials to discuss the latest advances in the study of the cerebellum. On the program: plenary lectures, thematic sessions and workshops highlighting recent work on the development, functions and pathologies associated with this cerebral region. This year’s topics include the development and evolution of the cerebellum, innovations in applied bioimaging, organoid models and studies of connections between the cerebellum and other brain regions.

Two keynotes will surround these scientific days. Mari Sepp (Heidelberg, Germany) will present her work on the development and evolution of the cerebellum using single-cell genomics, while Christian Hansel (Chicago, USA) will discuss cerebellar instructive signals and their role in neocortical plasticity.

For more information and registration details, click here.