About the BIU

The Biomedicum Imaging Unit, provides expertise and state-of-the-art equipment for modern multi-dimensional imaging applications. Currently available imaging systems include confocal and wide-field high-speed microscopes, whole animal optical imaging and MRI, high content screening and image post-processing workstations. We provide services for user specific applications including image restoration and deconvolution, volume and surface reconstructions, animations and various quantitative image acquisition and analysis applications such as FRET and FRAP. These services are available for all researchers, irrespective of their locations or affiliations.

The BIU is housed and supported by the Institute of Biomedicine and the Research Programs and currently recieves aditional financial funding through the Biocenter Finland's Infrastructure Network and Technology Platform initiatives, Biocentrum Helsinki, Academy of Finland, and the University of Helsinki. The BIU is a member of the Helsinki Functional Imaging Center (HFIC) and European Light Microscopy Initiative (ELMI). HFIC is a member of the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR) and Nordic Network on Imaging in Medicine and Biology. In October 2008, the Life Sciences and Medicine & Environmental Assessment Panel identified HFIC as a national level Research Infrastructure.

The BIU is a Euro-BioImaging Proof-of-Concept site. Find more information at www.eurobioimaging.eu

• The BIU is currently seeking an individual with a science/technical/engineering background to add to its imaging staff. Details about the position are available for download here: BIU_Imaging_Engineer
• The BIU recently had on demonstration a whole animal imaging platform (FMT2500) from PerkinElmer which was capable of 3D reconstruction by Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (FMT). During the demonstration a number of animal models were tested. The report summarizing the results of those tests is now available for download: FMT_DEMO_Helsinki_final.pdf
• The BIU will be running an HBGS course on "Fluorescence MIcroscopy and Quantitative Imaging", on the 7th December, in collaboration with Bitplane Scientific Software AG. See Courses and Seminars for details.
• Euro-BioImaging, a large scale pan-European research infrastructure on the ESFRI roadmap, has recently issued a call for project proposals wishing to gain free access to advanced imaging technologies at a select number of imaging facilities throughout Europe. The BIU is a participating facility in this 'proof-of-concept' study under the 'genaral access' Work Package 6. For further details please visit the Euro-BioImaging website:http://www.eurobioimaging.eu/content-news/euro-bioimaging-proof-concept-studies-call-users-open-now-oct-1st-nov15th-2011. (31.10.11)
• The BIU has recently upgraded its Nikon TIRF microscope for super-resolution imaging by Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM). This is a single molecule detection and localisation method which enables the reconstruction of fluorescent images with a resolution that can approach ~ 30nm (for comparison a normal confocal microscope will give resolution of about 250nm). The instrument is still in the evaluation stage, however there will be a demonstration day for the platform on Friday 4th November. For those that wish to have a demonstration please contact the BIU at: biu-support@helsinki.fi with the subject STORM Demo. For more details on the instrument please visit the biu web pages: http://www.biu.helsinki.fi/instruments/nikontirf.htm. (28.10.11)
• The Bioptonics OPT 3001M Scanner is now available through the BIU reservation system (28.10.11)
• The BIU now offers the use of a new Zeiss upright epifluorescence microscope (AxioImager.Z1). The microscope comes equipped with an ApoTome for optical sectioning using structured illumination, imaging with a choice of two Axiocam cameras (high resolution 14 bit monochrome and 5 M pixel colour), and a motorized stage with software for acquiring large mosaic images. View 'instruments' for more details.
• The BIU will soon be offering Optical Projection Tomography (OPT) amongst its services. A Bioptonics OPT scanner was acquired by Kari Alitalo with funding from the FIRI2010 infrastructure call, and will be managed at the BIU. The OPT scanner is a 3D imaging technology for whole mount biological specimens, including plant and animal tissues, organ systems, whole embryos, zebrafish, and drosophila,  from 1-15mm in size, and with cellular resolution. The OPT enables 3D visualization of  fluorescent labels, colored stains as well as unstained anatomy. Applications include the visualization of gene expression, protein distribution, GFP expression and phenotyping. A full description of the platform can be viewed here:http://www.bioptonics.com/Home.htm.
  The BIU will be running demonstrations of the OPT on Thursday 29th September 2011. For those that wish to have a demonstration please contact the BIU at: biu-support@helsinki.fi with the subject OPT Demo.
• Cellix will be demonstrating VenaFlux Biochip microfluidic platform for live cell adhesion and migration studies under shear flow conditions. The demo will take place on Thursday 22 September (all day) on the Olympus-TILL widefield imaging system in room A123b (BIU 1st floor, Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy). The demo will mainly consists of platelet rolling and adhesion studies, however, if you are interested in seeing the system in function please contact BIU staff. More information on Cellix products is available on there website.
• A BIU/PerkinElmer organised session on 'Quantitative preclinical imaging by fluorescence molecular tomography'., will take place at 10:00 on Wednesday 24th August, Room 8-9 (BP34A) Biomedicum 1. In particular, Marcus Salmon of PerkinElmer, will give a presentation on 'The utilisation of in-vivo imaging techniques in determining disease progression and therapeutic response', followed by an open discussion and questions.
• Thermo Fischer Scientific will be demonstrating the new AMG EVOS All-in-one digital inverted microscope on 29th of March from 12:00 to 16:00. The demos will be held on the 1st floor (Institute of Biomedicine, anatomy), room B117a. Please contact the BIU, preferably by 25th March, if you wish to test the system.
• The CellInsight demo will end at 1:30PM on the 20th January.
• We will have the desktop High Content Screening (HCS) system, CellInsight, from Thermo Scientific on Demo from the 19th to 20th January. The system is capable of running the same HCS BioApplication assays as the Arrayscan VTI reader and is under consideration to replace our current Arrayscan model. Representatives from Thermo Scientific will be available to address your questions and time on the instrument can be booked via the scheduling system. The system will be set up in room B501a.

Page updated December 20, 2011

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