In a significant advancement for bioimaging research in the Czech Republic and across Europe, the IPHYS Bioimaging Facility has launched an innovative new imaging platform that uniquely integrates a high-speed Nikon Spinning Disk SoRa system with a Brillouin Microscope. This multimodal setup is now available to users through the Czech-BioImaging national infrastructure and the Euro-BioImaging ERIC open-access research network.
The new platform combines the exceptional speed, sensitivity, and super-resolution capabilities of the spinning disk confocal microscope with the label-free mechanical contrast imaging provided by Brillouin microscopy. This integrated solution allows researchers to simultaneously capture high-resolution fluorescence dynamics of living cells and tissues alongside quantitative mechanical property mapping — opening new avenues in mechanobiology, developmental biology, and disease research.
The Nikon Spinning Disk SoRa system offers rapid volumetric imaging with super-resolution performance for fixed and live samples, supporting experiments that require capturing fast cellular events with minimal phototoxicity. The paired Brillouin Microscope adds a non-contact optical biomechanical modality, enabling measurement of local stiffness and viscoelastic properties without dyes or mechanical probes. Together, these techniques provide a powerful correlative imaging tool rarely available in standard core facilities.
This milestone underlines the continued investment in cutting-edge imaging technologies as part of the ongoing modernization of Czech-BioImaging, supported by national and European funding initiatives aimed at maintaining scientific excellence and broad access to advanced instrumentation.
According to facility scientists, the combined system will benefit a wide range of research disciplines, from fundamental cell biology to translational biomedical projects. Users will be able to design experiments that correlate molecular and functional fluorescence imaging with mechanical insights, thereby gaining a more comprehensive understanding of complex biological processes.
As part of its mission, Czech-BioImaging — and its integration into the Euro-BioImaging infrastructure — continues to foster collaboration and provide open access to world-class imaging technologies. The addition of this integrated system reinforces the Czech Republic’s role as a regional hub for state-of-the-art bioimaging and enables both national and international researchers to pursue innovative scientific questions using the latest multimodal imaging methods.
Researchers interested in using the new combined spinning disk and Brillouin imaging platform are encouraged to contact the IPHYS Bioimaging Facility for project support and access details.
