Scientific Imaging

Atomic force microscopy

Our equipment in atomic force microscopy allows us to study the structure and assembly of membrane proteins in native membranes by high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and force spectroscopy. One enormous advantage of AFM over other high-resolution imaging techniques is that it can be performed in physiological buffers at room temperature and under normal pressure.

Cell and tissue imaging (Pict-IBiSA)

This platform is designed to guarantee the availability of the most modern and innovative optical microscopy techniques to all researchers of the Institut Curie and of nearby institutes.

•     Cell and tissue imaging - UMR 144 (Pict-IBiSA)
•     Cell and tissue imaging - UMR 218 (Pict-IBiSA)
•     Cell and tissue imaging - UMR 3215 (Pict-IBiSA)
•     Cell and tissue imaging - UMR 3348 (Pict-IBiSA)

Electron Microscopy

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen and can reach x 5 000 000. It is used in the following labs:

•     Structural analysis of membrane proteins and of biomimetic systems by electron microscopy
•     Structure and Membrane Compartments

Ion microscopy

The Institut Curie was the first in Europe to dedicate an ion microscope to cancer research. Inaugurated in January 2003, this high tech equipment completed the extensive technological platform devoted to scientific imaging.

•     Ion microscopy Platform
•     Sims Imaging And Cellular Pharmacology (Structural basis of cellular processes - Signal and Image processing in Biology)

Multiphotonic imaging

Two-photon microscopy has made use of a particular optical phenomenon. It uses an infrared beam, whose good penetration allows in-depth imaging of incomparable precision. Two-photon microscopy offers new prospects for “getting to the heart” of tissues and even cells, while at the same time minimizing toxicity for the specimen. The first images obtained in collaboration with the Two-Photon Microscopy Platform, the Histopathology Department (tumor biology unit) of the Institut Curie Hospital give information on the subcellular structure of tissues and on tissue metabolism. With two-photon microscopy, diagnosis could soon be made much faster without any need for sample fixation or staining.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a spectroscopic technique based upon magnetic properties of an atom's nucleus.
In vitro, it is an essentiel technique to study the proteins structure and their interactions; in vivo, it makes possible to dispose of virtual cuts of the sample (organe or live organism) making differences between tissues (morphological study) and fluids as blood (fonctionnal dynamic study).

•     In vivo functional and molecular MRI

Photonic Microscopy: Nikon Imaging Centre@Institut Curie-CNRS

Equiped with the very latest photon microscopes, the scientific imaging platform Nikon Imaging Centre@Institut Curie-CNRS offers researchers exceptional supports to expedite discoveries in biomedical research.