Congratulations, France-BioImaging!

2024 will stand out in France-BioImaging history as a very positive year. Not only was France-BioImaging awarded significant national funding to support their infrastructure development, they also successfully passed the evaluation of the 2020-2024 period. In addition, two new Nodes, in Normandie and Rhone Alpes, joined the community. The France-BioImaging Annual Meeting, hosted by the Alsace Node in Strasbourg in November 2024, was the occasion to celebrate these accomplishments, exchange about science, and discuss the future of the infrastructure. 

2024 was a transitional year for France-BioImaging, Euro-BioImaging’s Node in France. It marked the end of one leadership cycle and the beginning of a new one, with former Scientific Director Edouard Bertrand handing over the reins to René-Marc Mège in July. It was also the end of a funding cycle. But as members of France-BioImaging gathered in Strasbourg in November, there was much to celebrate, especially the new national funding awarded in October 2024. 

Funding for the most powerful imaging technologies

In a highly competitive national call, France-BioImaging was awarded 9.2 Million Euros to upgrade its technology offer and implement tomorrow’s imaging techniques. The new technologies in the focus of the new funding are super-resolution and single molecule tracking, multiscale correlative imaging, lightsheet microscopy, high-content and multiplexed imaging, as well as new contrast methods and preclinical microscopy. 

The new equipment will be complemented by new human resources dedicated to data management and image analysis, provided by the France-BioImaging partner institutions. 

“This grant will do much to strengthen the visibility and attractivity of France-BioImaging, and equip our facilities with the most powerful and sought-after imaging technologies,” explains Caroline Thiriet, France-BioImaging coordinator. “It’s a really strong endorsement of our infrastructure, attesting to the importance of imaging technologies to a wide-range of research fields.”

International visibility

“Being part of Euro-BioImaging ERIC, and having  the support of the European Infrastructure, was crucial to our success in this application. The fact that we are operating on a European and even global level with Global BioImaging, sets us apart nationally,” adds Caroline. 

France-BioImaging also successfully passed their 2020-2024 evaluation, ensuring continued funding for running operations. This enables the France-BioImaging coordination & administrative team to expand, provides funding for mission officers on Image Analysis, Training and other topics, and funds positions within the Bioimage Analysis team. It also ensures that France-BioImaging can continue to run Open Calls to subsidise user access, support its community in tech development, and coordinate image analysis services. 

These developments were all presented by France-BioImaging’s new scientific director René-Marc Mège at the Annual Meeting in Strasbourg.

A growing community

The Annual Meeting also provided the opportunity to learn more about the Alsace Node, with an introductory presentation from Yves Mely, Director of the Alsace Node and France-BioImaging’s Deputy Director, and via visits to several of the Alsace Node’s facilities in Strasbourg. “It was really nice to have the opportunity to visit the QuEST facility in Illkirch,” says Marianna Childress-Poli, Communication Officer, who represented Euro-BioImaging at the event. “The facility hosts 200 visitors per year and specialises in live super resolution imaging techniques. While I was there, I met with Rabe’ah Almahassneh, a Euro-BioImaging user who had just arrived from Spain. She is being trained by the staff to use TIRF microscopy. It was wonderful to speak with her to learn more about her research on colorectal cancer. Her access to the facility is subsidised by France-BioImaging. It’s such a nice example of international collaboration.”

The first day of the meeting also included presentations from the new Nodes in Normandie and Rhone Alpes, and showcases of successful examples of technological transfer from FBI R&D teams to FBI facilities. The France-BioImaging “Light My Cells” Challenge was also highlighted by Dorian Kaufmann, and the Challenge winner, from Stanford University.

On the second day, scientific sessions provided the opportunity to delve deeper into the scientific theme of the meeting: “Live Functional Imaging: From Chemical Synthesis of Probes to Instrumentation.” 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.

France-BioImaging’s international activities were also highlighted at the meeting through a poster from Jean Salamero showing how France-BioImaging collaborates internationally within Global BioImaging and the work being done to increase collaboration with Africa. 

Congratulations to France-BioImaging for their many success stories this year. And many thanks to the Alsace Node for organising a wonderful Annual Meeting with so many opportunities to get to know the France-BioImaging community and discover Strasbourg!