University of Copenhagen is home to possibly the best microscopy facility in the world, the Core Facility for Integrated Microscopy. The Copenhagen Science City-located CFIM has been chosen to lead a new 50 million DKK bid to improve bioimaging in Denmark, the national “Danish BioImaging research infrastructure”. The initiative is funded by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Apart from leading the nationwide infrastructure, CFIM will also host a brand new image analysis facility.

Co-ordinating investments and sharing knowledge

Danish BioImaging research infrastructure will be a collaboration between Danish universities, research institutions, and private companies with an interest in non-invasive depiction of biological processes at the cellular and organism level. The purpose of the collaboration is to strengthen bioimaging in Denmark by ensuring a coordinated investments and knowledge-sharing among core facilities across the country.

Upgrade technology and create novel facility

The plan is to upgrade the current bioimaging technology portfolio in seven core facilities around Denmark and create the first of its kind world-wide national image analysis core facility. The Director of the national research infrastructure will be Associate Professor Clara Prats, Director of the Light Microscopy and Image Analysis Units at CFIM.

Part of larger plan to upgrade Danish research infrastructure

The grant is part of a two-fold increase in the funding of the national research infrastructures. The Ministry of Higher Education and Science has prioritised DKK 65 million extra for research infrastructures, with a total of DKK 134 million for advanced equipment, databases and laboratory and test facilities, including Danish BioImaging, which receives the largest grant of DKK 49.7 million.

Danish BioImaging will have a great impact on the available infrastructures and available bioimaging technologies at CFIM and the other core facilities around Denmark, bringing new opportunities to researchers at University of Copenhagen Faculty of health and Medical Sciences as well as life science researchers all over Denmark”: Clara Prats, Director, Danish BioImaging research infrastructure.

Unique synergy between image- and information technology

In addition to upgrading the available bioimaging technologies, a new national image analysis facility will be set up in collaboration with computer scientists from University of Copenhagen, Dept. of Computer Science and “DTU Compute” at Danish Technical University. The facility will be first of its kind world-wide to link computer sciences to life sciences, a synergy that will boost research innovation and discoveries.