NL-BI
NL-Biolmaging-AM: An advanced multi-center microscopy infrastructure for the Netherlands
Recent advances in microscopy have strongly enhanced the ability to identify and manipulate processes in cells, organoids, and small animal models. NL-BioImaging (NL-BI) will develop and integrate state-of-the-art microscopy technologies and services to allow access for all Dutch scientists to revolutionize fundamental insights in the building blocks of life, enable scientific breakthroughs, and advance applications towards society to overcoming life-threatening disease, including cancer and cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders. Embedded within the European infrastructure Euro-BioImaging, and operating in concert with the Dutch Society for Microscopy as well as the Netherlands EM Infrastructure (NEMI), NL-BI is key to secure a leading position of the Netherlands in microscopy.
Infrastructure and User Services
NL-BI develops and connects state-of-the-art technologies and services for functional imaging of live processes to investigate phenotypic heterogeneity, responses, and mechanisms. NL-BI will enable the Dutch research community to:
- Use new molecular probes and biosensors for functional imaging;
- Apply fast 3D imaging technologies for functional imaging in complex live-cell systems;
- Carry out high-content microscopy screens for cell phenotype changes;
- Bridge scales towards electron microscopy and intravital microscopy;
- Automate complex microscopy workflows and on-the-fly data analysis to massively increase experimental throughput and provide unbiased, researcher-independent output;
- Use a national network for FAIR image data management providing infrastructure, training, and easy-to-use workflows for data analysis of biological images by state-of-the-art neural networks;
- Establish a nation-wide training and outreach platform for scientists at all levels.
By providing coordinated access to the Netherlands’ best imaging technology and analysis platforms, the NL-BI roadmap proposal will achieve much-needed excellence in advanced optical microscopy to secure the international competitiveness of Dutch life science research. These nodes will also create the necessary fundaments to integrate microscopy with the omics technologies (‘visual omics’).
Examples/description of the type of research
NL-BI will focus on advanced (light) microscopy technologies that provide new insight in the molecular functioning of cells in their relevant dynamical context. This mechanistic insight and better understanding of life, will ultimately enable us to improve diagnosis, develop next generation innovative personalized therapies, and make the right socio-economical choices in challenges in sustainable agriculture. To achieve these aims, NL-BI will develop, integrate, and link state-of-the-art technologies for functional imaging of processes in living cells, tissues in vitro, and live animals with high-content microscopy. This will allow to unravel not only the molecular mechanisms governing and regulating proper cell function, but also phenotypic responses and mechanisms that explain or affect cellular processes underlying human pathology. In this way, NL-BI will enable a broad range of life scientists across the Netherlands and beyond to make ground-breaking discoveries.
How to access the infrastructure
Mostly physical access of instruments (via the different access routes as described in the Access Policy document) including 1) access via the local core facility, 2) access via the NL-BI website and 3) access via EuoBioImaging, as well as access to data files and data analysis programs.