The SFBS 2026 Scientific Symposium, hosted in Bordeaux from October 19 to 21, 2026, will be dedicated to super-resolution and advanced microscopy. On this occasion, renowned international experts will share their latest research and exchange with attendees on their vision of the field.

Here, we introduce three of our speakers: Francisco Balzarotti, Liangyi Chen and Lydia Danglot.

Francisco Balzarotti

Since 2020, Francisco is the “Advanced light microscopy and biophysics” Group Leader at the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology (Austria) and also counts with the support of the European Research Council.

Liangyi Chen

His lab developed Hessian SIM, SR-FACT for live-cell holistic super-resolution imaging, fast High-resolution Miniature Two-photon Microscopy (FHIRM-TPM) for Brain Imaging in Freely-behaving Mice, and the Sparse deconvolution algorithm for extending spatial resolution of fluorescence microscopes limited by the optics in general.

How does hormone secretion from the pancreatic islets interact with other organs including the nervous system and blood vessels, forming a complex network that results in cyclical, functional couplings? Currently, Liangyi Chen plans to integrate fields such as mathematics, physics, and engineering to pioneer advanced super-resolution live imaging techniques to answer these questions. These innovations aim to push beyond conventional resolution boundaries and enable cross-scale imaging in vivo, thereby offering a comprehensive, panoramic view of the pathogenesis of type II diabetes.

Lydia Danglot

In 2017, Dr. Danglot joined the Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, where she leads a research program on vesicular trafficking between endosomes and the Golgi apparatus during synaptic remodeling associated with learning. She was appointed Scientific Director of the NeurImag imaging facility, where she defines the scientific strategy, technical development, and user access policy. She established a super-resolution imaging platform from the ground up and developed advanced microscopy approaches (SIM, STED, and 3D-STORM) to investigate membrane dynamics and the nanoscale organization of synaptic complexes (Nature Communications, 2018, 2022, 2024). Under her leadership, the facility has gained international visibility and obtained Euro-BioImaging labelling. Since 2025, she has been a Member of the Executive Committee of the Institute of Psychiatry.

Dr. Danglot has demonstrated sustained leadership at both national and European levels. She served as Treasurer and subsequently as an Executive Board Member of the French Club ExoEndocytose from 2013 and is now vice-president from 2025. She received the Brain Research Foundation Award in 2018 and 2021, as well as the INSERM National Research and Education Excellence Award both in (2020–2023) and (2026-2028). She is a Board Member of the National Research Group ImaBio on advanced microscopy for biology (>2,500 members) and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of ICON-Europe Nanoscopy, a European initiative dedicated to fluorescence-based super-resolution microscopy.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet these experts during SFBS 2026! Join us in Bordeaux from October 19 to 21, 2026!

Interested in sharing your work as well? Submit your abstract before June 1, 2026 for a chance to give a talk or present a poster.

A recent study¹ led by researchers from Karim Majzoub’s team (IGMM – Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier) reveals an unexpected mechanism of deltavirus transmission, in which deltaviruses can be physically incorporated into helper virus particles. This work highlights how the combination of advanced imaging approaches was essential to identify, characterize, and validate this “viral Trojan Horse” mechanism.

Structural evidence of virus-virus association

Negative-stain electron microscopy first revealed the presence of atypical “double particles” within viral preparations. These structures, observed in superinfected cells producing both deltavirus and helper virus particles, displayed a characteristic morphology consisting of a main virion associated with a smaller satellite-like structure. These observations suggested a physical association between the two viral entities, but did not allow identification of their composition.

Cryo-electron microscopy provided further insight by enabling visualization of these particles in near-native conditions. In some cases, the observed structures appeared to share a continuous membrane, supporting the hypothesis that deltaviruses could be incorporated within helper virus particles rather than simply interacting at their surface.

Multi-modal imaging for composition analysis

To determine the molecular composition of these particles, fluorescence-based approaches were applied. Super-resolution microscopy (STED) enabled the co-localization of deltavirus proteins (RDAg) and helper virus proteins within the same structures, using specific antibodies.

These findings were further supported by immunofluorescence and RNA FISH, which confirmed the presence of both viral proteins and deltavirus genomic RNA. In parallel, immunogold labeling combined with electron microscopy provided ultrastructural evidence linking deltavirus proteins to the observed particles.

Beyond structural characterization, these results support a model in which deltaviruses can be transmitted within helper virus particles. By exploiting the entry pathways and tropism of their helper viruses, this mechanism may facilitate infection of a broader range of cell types, tissues, and potentially hosts. In some cases, such as with HSV-1, deltavirus infectivity appears to depend on this association, highlighting the functional relevance of this “Trojan Horse” mechanism.

Ongoing work aims to further investigate this mechanism using live-cell imaging approaches, with a focus on the intracellular trafficking of deltavirus-containing particles during superinfection.

1 Joe McKellar, Aurélien Fouillen, et al., Deltaviruses spread through a viral Trojan Horse, Cell, Volume 189, Issue 9, 2026, Pages 2748-2761.e17, ISSN 0092-8674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.01.037

What is BioImage Cloud?

BioImage Cloud acts as a transport solution designed to streamline the transfer of imaging datasets from acquisition to a shared cloud storage.

After image acquisition on the microscope, users upload their datasets to a local server. They must then complete an Excel sheet describing their samples and associated metadata. Without this information, the datasets cannot be transferred from the local server. Furthermore, metadata make users’ data FAIR, and users can then easily visualize, annotate, and share their images via a web browser or dedicated software.

Once the metadata sheet has been completed, the datasets can be transferred to a mesocenter, a data center dedicated to data storage and processing. After import, users can access their datasets at any time through their OMERO interface.

How to use BioImage Cloud?

To help users get started with the solution, FBI.data members will host Open Desk sessions every Monday and Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. If you would like to join a session, you can email data@france-bioimaging.org to express your interest, or directly join the Open Desk here: https://visio.numerique.gouv.fr/bfg-fhqu-dlm

We also encourage you to subscribe to the bioimage-cloud@groupes.renater.fr mailing list to stay informed about future updates and developments related to the solution. To subscribe, please send an email at sympa@groupes.renater.fr with the subject “Subscribe bioimage-cloud@groupes.renater.fr – Last Name – First Name”.

Could you introduce yourself?

I obtained my PhD degree in chemistry in 2003 from Kyiv National University and worked as post-doctoral fellow in the University of Strasbourg and Catholic University of Leuven. Then, I joined CNRS in 2006. I am CNRS Research Director at the Laboratory of Biophonics and Pathologies (University of Strasbourg, UMR CNRS 7021). My scientific background is chemistry, but I have been working for years at the interface of chemistry, biology and photonics.

Currently, I lead the research team “Photoactive Materials and Bioimaging”, and I am the co-founder of two startups: BrightSens Diagnostics and AstraNICE.

You have recently been awarded the CNRS Silver Medal. Could you tell us more about your research and its main focus?

Our research interests include two major research directions:

• The first direction is fluorescent molecular probes, which are functional organic molecules capable to image and sense biological systems. Here, we work on (a) probes for non-covalent and covalent targeting of specific cell compartments (plasma membranes, ER, Glogi, mitochondria, etc); (b) probes for advanced microscopy, aimed to improve its resolution (switchable probes for PAINT imaging) and the information content (ratiometric environment-sensitive probes) (c) probes for molecular recognition, which are able to detect and image specific biomolecular targets such as lipids, membrane receptors and RNA.
• The second research direction is photoactive nanoscale biomaterials for sensing, clinical diagnostics as well as photo-modulation and phototherapy. It includes new concepts of assembly of bright fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) and nano-biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics (created start-up BrightSens Diagnostics). Recently, we starting working on artificial receptors for small molecules (neurotransmitters), which will enable their sensing, capture and photo-release in biological fluids, cells and tissues (supported by ERC Advanced grant CaptuRel since 2025). At the larger scale, we work on photoactive nano/micro-materials for image-guided surgery (created startup AstraNICE) and for sensing small molecules (O2, pH, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, metabolites) and monitoring of wound healing.

Could you explain the fluorescent probes you develop for bioimaging? What makes them innovative?

Primary, we work on fluorescent biological membranes and organelles, where we image and sense their local biophysical properties. The innovation of our probes stems from the environment-sensitivity of our dyes. They are able to change their color or light up in response to local properties of biomembranes and biomolecules or to biomolecular interactions, such as ligand-receptor binding. Moreover, we proposed innovative strategies to target specifically the cell plasma membranes, which yielded families of membrane probes (e.g. MemBright and polarity probes), which were commercialized and used worldwide.

On the other hand, we develop fluorescent nanoparticles featuring high brightness for amplified sensing of biological markers of diseases, RNA in particular, and artificial nanoscale receptors for small molecules (neurotransmitters), important in diagnostics of neural disorders and neurobiology research.

Which microscopy systems are these probes designed to be used with?

They are suitable for a large variety of fluorescence microscopy techniques. First, they can be used for conventional cellular imaging using epi-fluorescence and confocal microscopy in wash-free conditions.

Environment-sensitive probes are designed for quantitative microscopy methods, such as ratiometric imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Finally, we make particular stress on probes for super-resolution imaging, with focus on PAINT imaging, by exploiting the capacity of our probes to light-up on the target binding.

What are the main biological applications of your fluorescent probes?

The primary applications are imaging of biological membranes of cell surface and organelles and monitoring changes in their biophysical properties in response to the external stress (oxidative, mechanical, etc) and physiological processes such as apoptosis. Other probes are particularly suitable for sensing ligand-receptor (GPCR) binding or intracellular RNA (using aptamers). Our nanoparticle probes are suitable for detection of biological markers (RNA and small molecules) of infectious, cancer and neurological diseases as well as for monitoring wound healing.

Are these probes accessible through microscopy facilities?

Yes, we are part of France Bioimaging (FBI) community, where we distribute the probes. We also distribute all new probes through direct contacts and many of our probes are already commercialized.

What are the next directions for your research?

In the field of molecular probes, we are particularly interested in (a) covalent probes for cell membranes based on our recently reported MemGraft probe family, (b) probes for sensing and imaging cell organelles, and (c) probes for super-resolution PAINT imaging. In the nanoscale probes, we recently started working on artificial receptors for small molecules. It will enable their direct detection in biological fluids, cells and in tissues, which is something very difficult to do with existing methods.

Moreover, we would like to combine sensing, capture and photo-release functions within these receptors, which will yield a new class of materials, like artificial neurons, able to “communicate” with living cells (supported by ERC Advanced Grant CaptuRel).

What message would you like to share with the bioimaging community and potential users of these probes?

Please, do not hesitate to try new tools developed by chemists. I think a lot of breakthroughs in answering biological questions and developing new bioimaging methods comes from the interaction of chemists and biologists who dare to speak to each other.

Could you introduce yourself?

I am a CNRS Research Director working at the Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire in Bordeaux. My background is inplant cell biology, with a long-standing interest in how cells communicate with each other. Over the years, I have focused on plasmodesmata, these nanoscale channels that connect plant cells and allow molecules to move from one cell to another.

I am currently leading a research group studying membrane dynamics and cell-cell communication in plants. I am also involved in the direction of the Bordeaux Imaging Center, being Deputy Director since january 2025.

You have recently been awarded the CNRS Silver Medal. Could you tell us more about your research and its main focus?

Our work addresses a simple question that is still largely unresolved:

How do plant cells control what moves between them?

We focus on plasmodesmata and more specifically on the role of membranes, lipid-protein interaction in regulating this exchange. We combine cell biology, genetics, in silico modelling and advanced imaging to dissect how these channels form, how they open or close, and how they contribute to plant development and responses to the environment.

How does microscopy contribute to your work?

Microscopy is central to everything we do. Plasmodesmata are extremely small (30 nm in diameter) and highly dynamic, so we need imaging approaches that allow us to see both their structure and their behavior in living tissues.

Without microscopy, we simply could not access these processes.

Which microscopy techniques are especially important for your research?

We rely on a combination of electron and advanced light microscopy to bridge structure and dynamics across scales. Super-resolution approaches such as STED and expansion microscopy allow us to resolve the nanoscale organization of plasmodesmata, while electron tomography provides detailed views of their internal architecture. At the tissue level, we use serial block-face scanning electron microscopy to map their distribution across organs.

To capture dynamics in living tissues, we use two-photon microscopy, in particular to photoactivate fluorescent tracers and follow their movement from cell to cell. We complement this with lattice light-sheet imaging, as well as approaches such as FRAP and FLIP, to quantify molecular mobility and intercellular trafficking in real time.

How does your work contribute to innovation in microscopy applied to plant science?

Our work pushes microscopy in two directions. On one side, we adapt existing methods to plant tissues, which are often challenging to image. On the other, we develop new strategies to track intercellular trafficking with high spatial and temporal resolution. This includes approaches to follow molecules as they move across individual plasmodesmata.

This effort is very much collective. We work closely with the Bordeaux Imaging Center and collaborate with leading groups in single-molecule imaging, in particular the team of Laurent Cognet (France-BioImaging R&D team) .

These interactions are key to pushing the limits of what we can resolve in living plant tissues.

As deputy director of the Bordeaux Imaging Center and a member of a France-BioImaging R&D team, what message would you like to share with researchers working in plant biology?

Imaging is not just a technical step, it shapes the questions you can ask and also opens access to questions that were not accessible before. I would encourage researchers to engage early with imaging platforms and to build real interactions with imaging specialists. These platforms are essential for the whole community. Having highly skilled engineers with strong expertise who work hand in hand with researchers is a real strength of the French system, and something that is invaluable for moving projects forward. I hope this model will continue to be strongly supported in the coming years.

Plant systems bring specific constraints, but they also open unique possibilities. There is still a lot to explore, and progress will come from close exchanges between researchers and engineers specialized in imaging and data analysis.

Could you briefly introduce yourself?

I completed a PhD in cell biology, where I investigated microtubule dynamics within the mitotic spindle in C. elegans. This work allowed me to develop strong expertise in image processing and quantitative analysis. I then aimed to broaden my skill set by specializing in super-resolution light microscopy.

Supported by France-BioImaging funding, I joined the MRic core facility in Rennes to transfer the RIM technique and make it accessible for independent use by researchers. I am currently part of the MRic electronic unit, where I am working on the development of CLEM approaches.

What was your role in this project?

I was in charge of optimizing system parameters and refining data acquisition workflows. I also contributed to improving the prototype’s usability, enabling biologists to operate the system independently.

Briefly, what is RIM? What makes it particularly interesting compared to other super-resolution techniques?

RIM combines speckle wide-field illumination and a new statistical approach based on the covariance, the variance, and the standard deviation. RIM is based on the use of speckle patterns, which arise naturally from laser interference. In practice, the laser beam is directed onto a spatial light modulator (SLM), where random phase patterns are applied. When combined with the intrinsic speckle field, these patterns create a series of random illumination fronts that sequentially cover the sample.

From the resulting dataset, a super-resolution image can be reconstructed by exploiting the statistical invariance of the speckle patterns. Its key advantage is the ability to image living samples, thanks to its rapid acquisition and low phototoxicity, while also supporting deep imaging enabled by the unique properties of speckle illumination.

This project is based on a technology transfer from Toulouse. Could you explain how this was initiated and implemented?

An initial prototype of the microscope was developed at the Toulouse facility (LICT Core facility). This innovative approach quickly generated strong interest among research teams in Rennes, leading to a project proposal in 2020 to establish the system locally. However, due to limited personnel availability in Toulouse, a funding application was submitted to France-BioImaging in 2023 to support the full transfer and optimization of the technique in Rennes.

What were the main steps involved in setting up the RIM system at MRic?

We first assembled the prototype and acquired the required optical components. The setup was carried out by Gilles Le Marchand, co–first author of the study¹. We then ensured proper alignment and optimized the system to achieve high-quality speckle illumination. I subsequently developed the system’s metrology and prepared a user manual so that biologists could operate it independently. Finally, the system was validated in collaboration with research teams using their own biological samples.

Which aspects of the system proved to be the most challenging to reproduce in a core facility environment?

Optimization was the most challenging stage. During this phase, Gilles and I worked closely together: I evaluated the system from a biological perspective, while he, as the optics specialist, fine-tuned the setup to achieve the highest possible illumination quality.

What does this technology bring to the platform’s users?

This technology enables users to perform super-resolution imaging on living organisms, something that was previously impossible on this platform at this acquisition speed.

How do you support users in getting started with the system, both for acquisition and reconstruction?

Core facility engineers provide training on the system, covering both the use of the microscope and the reconstruction process. A user manual is always available to help users get started with the system. Afterward, the engineers remain available to assist users in optimizing the acquisition and reconstruction parameters for their samples.

Why is it important to share and pool innovations across imaging platforms?

The goal is to enable as many biologists as possible to address their research questions by drawing on the technical and technological expertise of the platform engineers.

Do you see potential developments toward other modalities?

RIM is highly compatible with multimodal approaches.

It can be combined with:

• multi-color imaging
• 3D acquisition
• time-resolved imaging (xyzt)

These perspectives open the door to increasingly rich and comprehensive datasets, bridging spatial and temporal scales.

(1) Soler, N., L. Marchand, G., Dutertre, S., et al. 2026. “Implementation and Optimization of a Random Illumination Microscope: towards Robustness for Microscopy Core Facility.” Biology of the Cell118, no. 3: e70060. https://doi.org/10.1111/boc.70060

The International Research Network (IRN) BioImage, established in 2025, is co-led by Laurent Bourdieu (IBENS, Paris) and Liangyi Chen (National Biomedical Imaging Center, Beijing). It aims to structure French and Chinese bioimaging communities around the theme of “Advanced microscopy and super-resolution applied to life sciences”.

With a duration of five years, the IRN brings together six Chinese research laboratories and nine French laboratories, several of which are members of France-BioImaging. It is notably supported through the organisation of symposia and thematic schools, including the upcoming Sino-French BioImaging Symposium 2026 (SFBS 2026), which will take place in Bordeaux from October 14 to 21, 2026.

A long-standing scientific collaboration

French and Chinese bioimaging communities are among the leading actors in the field at the international level. Both countries have developed national research infrastructures dedicated to bioimaging (France-BioImaging and National Biomedical Imaging China) providing researchers with access to advanced microscopy technologies.

Since 2015, regular scientific exchanges have been established, leading to multiple collaborations and joint publications. In 2017, a delegation of scientists from Peking University was hosted in France at the initiative of France-BioImaging. This dynamic continued with the organisation of two Sino-French symposia, held in Paris in 2019 and in Beijing in 2024.

The creation of IRN BioImage in 2025 builds on these collaborations, with the aim of structuring and expanding them over the long term.

Structuring exchanges and advancing bioimaging approaches

The project is structured around four main scientific axes: the development of chemical or genetically encoded probes, the improvement of super-resolution microscopy techniques and deep tissue imaging methods, and image analysis.

On the French side, nine research laboratories are involved, including IBENS (Paris), IINS (Bordeaux), ISMO (Orsay), INP (Marseille), BioCore (Nantes), LBP (Strasbourg), IPHC (Strasbourg), LPEM (Paris), and LOB (Palaiseau).

The IRN also supports researcher mobility between the two countries, through the hosting of PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scientists within partner laboratories. Co-supervised PhD projects are encouraged to strengthen team integration and foster long-term scientific collaborations.

Beyond scientific objectives, the IRN also promotes the exchange of best practices in research infrastructure management and supports the organisation of structuring events for the community.

SFBS 2026: a key event for the international community

In this context, the Sino-French BioImaging Symposium 2026 (SFBS 2026) will mark the next milestone of this cooperation. The event will take place in Bordeaux from October 14 to 21, 2026.

It will include an advanced workshop (October 14-16) aimed at early-career researchers seeking to deepen their theoretical and practical knowledge of super-resolution imaging techniques, followed by an international symposium (October 19-21) bringing together French, Chinese, and European experts.

By combining training and scientific exchange, SFBS 2026 will contribute to strengthening interactions between communities and fostering the emergence of new collaborations in bioimaging.

Multiciliated cell differentiation involves key cellular processes, including centriole amplification and ciliogenesis. In this study⁽¹⁾, researchers from IBDM in Marseille combine an inducible cellular model, proteomics and microscopy to describe the temporal progression and organization of this process.

A controlled system to follow multiciliated cell differentiation

The study is based on an inducible A6-MCI cell line, allowing synchronized differentiation into multiciliated cells. This model provides a framework to investigate successive stages of the process over a defined time course.

Within this context, microscopy techniques were used alongside molecular analyses to monitor structural changes. Confocal fluorescence microscopy enabled the visualization of centriole amplification over time, revealing a progressive increase in centriole number following induction.

These observations contributed to defining a temporal sequence of events, spanning early amplification phases, deuterosome-mediated centriole production, and later stages of maturation.

Structural characterization of deuterosomes and centriole production

To examine the organization of deuterosomes and centrioles at higher resolution, the authors combined several microscopy techniques.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron tomography provided detailed views of Xenopus deuterosome ultrastructure, revealing that these organelles are composed of multiple electron-dense units arranged in connected assemblies. Different morphologies were observed, including elongated and branched structures, with arrangements forming chain-like organizations.

In addition, expansion microscopy allowed the molecular characterization of these structures at improved spatial resolution using fluorescence imaging, complementing electron microscopy observations.

Together, these imaging modalities provided a multi-scale description of deuterosome centriole amplification platform organization.

Linking structural observations and functional perturbations

Microscopy was also used to observe ciliogenesis at the apical surface of differentiated cells. Confocal imaging confirmed the presence and spatial organization of multiple cilia following centriole maturation.

In parallel, the study combined proteomic, functional analyses and imaging approaches to relate molecular perturbations to observable structural outcomes. In particular the role of CDK7 was investigated using pharmacological inhibition. Imaging revealed that inhibition of CDK7 led to a marked reduction in centriole amplification and prevented cilia formation.

This study integrates imaging with proteomic and functional analyses to document multiciliated cell differentiation, providing a coherent view of its successive stages. By linking structural observations to their molecular context, it offers a comprehensive description of how centriole amplification and ciliogenesis are coordinated over time, and highlights the value of combining complementary approaches to investigate complex cellular processes.

(1) Camille Boutin, Olivier Rosnet, Marine Touret, Stéphane Audebert, Luc Camoin, Salomé Dussert, Nicolas Brouilly, Virginie Thomé, Jean Plumail, Denis Fortun, Jean-Paul Borg, Laurent Kodjabachian; An inducible multiciliated cell line resolves proteome dynamics and identifies CDK7 as a conserved regulator. J Cell Biol 6 April 2026; 225 (4): e202506154. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202506154

France-BioImaging (FBI), the national research infrastructure in biology and health dedicated to biological imaging, has established an Africa hub aimed at structuring long-term scientific collaborations and supporting the development of bioimaging capacities across the African continent. This initiative builds on several years of exchanges with African partners and is based on training, networking, and collaborative research activities. A new milestone will be reached with the organization of the BEAMS school in Dakar (Senegal) in November 2026, dedicated to the study of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability.

Structuring Africa-France scientific cooperation in bioimaging

Created in December 2024 at the initiative of Jean Salamero (former Director of France-BioImaging, CNRS Research Director until June 2025), Samira Benadda (head of the Photonic Microscopy Platform at IBENS – ENS/PSL), and Jean-Luc Verdeil (scientific head of the MRI-PHiV imaging facility at CIRAD), the Africa hub of France-BioImaging brings together 12 members from different nodes of the infrastructure. Its objective is to support the emergence of a bioimaging community in Africa while strengthening scientific links between African and French researchers.

This initiative continues discussions initiated in 2021 with the Africa Microscopy Initiative (AMI). A consultation phase conducted in 2022 with African universities and academic partners, in collaboration with French institutions such as CNRS, CIRAD, IRD, and Aix-Marseille University, led to the definition of an open strategy extending beyond francophone regions, in alignment with AMI and the African BioImaging Consortium.

In 2023, these efforts were strengthened with the launch of the Africa-France Joint Initiative for Bioimaging, which supported ten collaborative research projects.

Training, exchanges and co-construction at the core of the initiative

The Africa hub is structured around several complementary priorities: strengthening scientific exchanges, developing training and mobility opportunities for African researchers, supporting the creation of bioimaging schools in Africa, and contributing to international calls for projects.

In 2024-2025, new Africa-France projects were carried out within the Imaging4All program of the Global BioImaging network, supported by the Wellcome Trust and targeting low- and middle-income countries.

Through these actions, France-BioImaging follows a co-construction approach, aiming to build balanced, sustainable partnerships rooted in local realities.

“The impact of the Africa Hub initiatives is twofold: strengthening technological capacities and expertise in biological imaging in Africa, and improving the efficiency of collaborative research in biology, environment and health, addressing challenges faced by our colleagues today and by us tomorrow, such as climate change, biodiversity, biotic and abiotic stress, and emerging diseases.”
– Jean Salamero

A first major action: the BEAMS school in Dakar

Within this framework, France-BioImaging and its partners are organizing the first edition of the thematic school “Bioimaging for the study of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability in Africa” (BEAMS), which will take place from November 16 to 27, 2026, at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal.

This school will combine theoretical lectures, hands-on sessions, and scientific exchanges to address key challenges related to the study of African biodiversity and ecosystems using bioimaging technologies. It aims to contribute to the training of a new generation of scientists and to strengthen collaborations at regional and international levels.

The project has been selected by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie within the INTENSCIF program.

The Light My Cells dataset, developed through the first France-BioImaging challenge, has been published in Nature Scientific Data ⁽¹⁾. It represents the first scientific outcome of this initiative which involved 31 contributors across the France-BioImaging network from Montpellier, Toulouse, Marseille, Paris, Rennes, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.

Predicting fluorescence from label-free imaging

Fluorescence microscopy is widely used across life and physical sciences to access specific molecular or structural information within samples. However, it is constrained by phototoxicity, photobleaching, and demanding sample preparation, which can limit its use in long-term observations and high-throughput experiments.

In contrast, transmitted light techniques, such as bright-field, phase contrast, and differential interference contrast, enable non-invasive imaging without labeling, preserving cell integrity over time. However, they do not provide direct molecular specificity.

The Light My Cells challenge builds on existing approaches and stimulates the development of deep learning methods to predict fluorescence signals from transmitted light images, opening new perspectives for label-free and less invasive imaging strategies

A large-scale dataset built across France-BioImaging

The publication introduces an open-access dataset developed within the France-BioImaging infrastructure.

It brings together 2,574 acquisition sets (unique fields of view), corresponding to a total of 56,984 two-dimensional microscopy images, derived from 30 independent studies collected across 8 imaging centers within the France-BioImaging infrastructure.

Each acquisition set combines transmitted light images with at least one fluorescence image targeting key subcellular structures, including the nucleus, mitochondria, tubulin, and actin. The diversity of samples, imaging systems, and experimental conditions supports the development of robust and generalizable models.

To ensure interoperability and reuse, all data were standardized using the OME-TIFF format and enriched with REMBI-compliant metadata, following FAIR data principles. A dedicated preprocessing pipeline further ensures consistency, including best-focus selection and harmonized data structure.

First scientific outcome of the Light My Cells challenge

The dataset is publicly available through the BioImage Archive, providing a reliable resource for the scientific community.

This publication represents the first scientific outcome of the Light My Cells challenge, providing a structured and openly accessible dataset designed to support the development and evaluation of deep learning models for fluorescence prediction from transmitted light microscopy.

⁽¹⁾Kauffmann, D., Gay, G., Mateos-Langerak, J. et al. 2D Multimodal Image Collection for Fluorescence Prediction from Transmitted Light Microscopy. Sci Data (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07004-w

Registration is now open for the 1st France VolumeEM Scientific Conference, which will take place on September 28-29, 2026 in Bordeaux. This first edition will bring together the community around volume electron microscopy to explore three-dimensional imaging approaches across scales, from cellular to material sciences.

The conference will open with a plenary lecture by Isabelle Bonne (NUS Microscopy Core, Singapore) titled “Volume EM Today: From Cells to Materials”, followed by three thematic sessions:

• Session 1 – 3D Structures across scales, with Elsa Vennat (Paris-Saclay Mechanics Laboratory)
• Session 2 – Complementary Methods, Applications in Science and Industry, with Timm Weitkamp (Synchrotron SOLEIL)
• Session 3 – Life in Context, a Three-Dimensional Story, with Karel Mocaer (EMBL)

Participants are invited to contribute to the scientific programme:

• Submit an oral presentation to share innovative results, ongoing projects or original approaches
• Present your work as a poster during the Monday evening poster session

As additional highlight of the event, workshops will be held on September 29 afternoon (registration required, limited capacity)

Interested? Find the registration link, the submission guidelines and the complete program below!