Member of C2RT (Center for Resources and Research in Technology) the Unit for service and technology in ultra-structural bio-imaging  (UBI) at Pasteur provides technical and scientific support in electron microscopy, mainly, but not exclusively, to the Pasteur community, analyzing host-pathogen interactions at the ultra-structural level. Our equipment enables us to do state-of-the-art EM for life sciences that includes three dimensional EM by tomography and focused ion beam SEM. The ultrapole is run by ten members (eight engineers and two technicians), each specialized in certain techniques. We put a big emphasis on correlate light- and electron microscopy to study key (rare events) of host-pathogen interactions and we have designed several protocols to combine room temperature LM and cryo-LM with FIB-SEM, cryo-SEM and cryo-tomography.

The UBI also has a small research group focusing on large DNA-viruses. Through this research theme we wish to establish and develop robust, new protocols for various EM-techniques.

The cell biology pole Imagerie-Gif is localized on the CNRS campus of Gif sur Yvette, in a new building dedicated to platform activity. This IBiSA platform provides efficient access to high quality services and state of the art technologies. It is open to the whole academic scientific community and to industrial partners. The management and development of this pole is under the responsibility of the team “Dynamics of cell compartmentation” (group leader S. Lecart, Institut des Sciences du Végétal, Gif sur Yvette). It uses cell biology approaches and multiscale imaging (cytometry, bio-imaging and electron microscopy) to explore the cell. The development of new protocols and the mastering of update imaging approaches are part of the R & D objectives of the platform. Those are then transferred to platform services and disseminated through numerous training and teaching events, and opened to the whole scientific community. The cell biology pole of Imagerie-Gif activities contributes to the working groups “super resolution”, “Probe development” and “CLEM” within the France-BioImaging consortium.

Microscopy systems available @Imagerie-Gif

Montpellier Ressources Imagerie (MRI) is a distributed imaging facility present on six sites in Montpellier (www.mri.cnrs.fr). MRI is labeled IBiSA and certified ISO9001-2008 LQRA. It has a staff of 30 engineers and is directed by P. Lemaire (CNRS). MRI manages numerous microscopes (36 photonic and 2 electron microscopes) and 14 analysis workstations, and especially microscopes for long term or short live experiments. MRI offers a complete set of state-of-the-art technologies, from single molecule to small organism imaging. The platform offers and develops 3D-SIM, SPIM, FCS/FCCS, CLEM and 2photons microscopies, and also develops a new service of High Content Screening, with a specific emphasis on gene expression analysis by smFISH techniques. MRI organizes regular training sessions with theoretical presentations and practical sessions about advanced light microscopy and image analysis. Once trained, a user can freely access microscopes on a pay-per-use basis. For the screening facility, the access is evaluated on a project-by-project basis.

Microscopy systems available @MRI

The BIC (Bordeaux Imaging Center) offers resources in photonic and electronic imaging, mainly in life, health and plant sciences. It is a core facility identified at the national level as IBISA that gathers 12 highly skilled engineers. It has the ISO9001 label. The different components of the BIC are: PHOTONIC imaging, ELECTRONIC imaging, PLANT imaging. The Bordeaux Imaging Center offers access to the most advanced bio-imaging techniques for fixed and live cell imaging such as video-microscopy, confocal microscopy, multiphoton microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The BIC provides a unique set of high-end equipment for super- resolution microscopy such as STED confocal microscopy, FRAP video-microscopy, lifetime imaging FLIM for the measurement of molecular interactions. We also provide access to equipment for sample preparation such as ultra-microtoms, high pressure freeze (HPF) and we can host live samples.

Microscopy systems available @BIC

The Cell and Tissue Imaging Platform (PICT-IBiSA) of the Institut Curie brings together advanced microscopy technologies. Its main objective is to provide researchers in cell biology, development, structural, chemistry and biophysics with imaging approaches at different spatial and dynamic scales ranging from the molecule, to the cell, to the organism in healthy or pathological contexts.

The platform is organized around 3 poles: photonic microscopy, high-content screening, electron microscopy and cryo-electron microscopy. Photonic microscopy extends from dynamic imaging to high resolution. High throughput microscopy allows cellular screening of chemical and siRNA banks. Electron microscopy and cryo-microscopy provide the molecular structure and cellular ultrastructure of biological samples. The platform also offers expertise in data processing and analysis.

ImagoSeine imaging facility gathers advanced light microscopy, cytometry and electronic microscopy activities, installed on 450 m² at IJM. Rooms for cells and tissues manipulations are provided to external users. ImagoSeine has been assessed and found to meet the requirements of ISO 9001 by AFNOR Certification. ImagoSeine brings together technologies and expertise in these fields, thanks to the 7 permanent and 2 contractual engineers. The originality of ImagoSeine-IJM is the close collaboration between the imaging facility which have a long experience of making available standard approaches but also new developments to the biological community and a research team involved in the development of state of the art functional imaging technologies (FLIM-FRET; FCCS) and more recently superresolution and non-linear microscopy. The ultimate goal is to provide access and training to these emerging techniques and methods for the realization of competitive biological projects.