Project description
Next generation scale-crossing imaging technologies for research infrastructures
The EU-funded IMAGINE project focuses on developing and integrating major disruptive microscopy technologies to enable scale-crossing structural and functional investigation of biological specimens in their natural context. AI-powered image analysis capabilities will support technology integration and make data widely available. To harness the power of imaging for some of the most pressing societal challenges, IMAGINE will prepare its new imaging technologies to be deployed in the field, on Europe’s seas and coastlines, with the aim of coupling the collection of environmental specimens with their study using the highest resolution imaging. IMAGINE aims at making its new imaging technologies service ready and having them validated as future services by Europe’s Imaging Research Infrastructures. The ultimate goal is to ensure wide use of the new technologies by the European life science community.
Objective
The IMAGINE project will develop the next generation of scale-crossing imaging technologies to enable an integrated investigation of structure and function of biological systems. It will focus on developing and integrating four major disruptive microscopy technologies, namely: X-ray imaging, cryo electron microscopy, cryo and dynamic super-resolution microscopy and large volume intravital light microscopy. It will furthermore develop the AI-powered image analysis and data integration/sharing capabilities, that are needed to correlate these technologies and make their data widely available. To harness their power for some of the most pressing societal challenges, IMAGINE will prepare its new imaging technologies to be deployed in the field, on Europe’s seas and coastlines, so that the collection of environmental specimen in their natural context can be coupled with their study by highest resolution imaging technologies.
The IMAGINE technologies are currently at the cutting edge of physics and engineering and therefore only available in isolation and to specialists. The project aims to bring them to the European life science user community at large by developing and validating them for service readiness, so that they can be provided as future services by Europe’s Research Infrastructures (RIs). To this end, the project will train RI staff on the operation and use of the IMAGINE technologies. To promote broad dissemination as commercial instruments, IMAGINE will develop technologies jointly between academia and industry promoting open innovation with key instrumentation manufacturers in the imaging field.
The life science community increasingly relies on RIs to access ever more complex and rapidly developing scientific instruments. The scale-crossing imaging technologies developed by IMAGINE will be critical to empower ground-breaking research in Europe, that is so urgently needed to address some of the biggest challenges our societies will face in the future.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmarine biology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopysuper resolution microscopy
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyelectron microscopy
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsnonlinear optics
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
69117 Heidelberg
Germany
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Participants (17)
20521 Turku
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OX4 2JY Oxford
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75005 Paris
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
9000 Gent
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
19013 Attikia Anavissos
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
48940 Leioa
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38430 Moirans
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
100 44 Stockholm
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69126 Heidelberg
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35578 Wetzlar
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38000 Grenoble
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20157 Milano
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75006 Paris
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8005-139 FARO
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36310 Vigo Pontevedra
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2333 ZA Leiden
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80539 Munchen
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Partners (4)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
5232 Villigen Psi
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
623 00 Brno
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
OX11 0QX Didcot
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
4704 553 Braga
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