JCS-FocalPlane Training Grants

In 2024, we launched the JCS-FocalPlane Training Grants. These grants of up to £1,000, can be used by early-career researcher to attend microscopy and bioimage analysis training courses. To be eligible, researchers must be working in the field of cell biology and must not have independent funding to cover the expenses associated with the course.

Below you can read the course reports from some of the successful applicants.

Workshop report: EMBO Course on Image Processing in Cryo-EM

Posted by FocalPlane, on 9 February 2026

Freya Cardozo shares her workshop report from the EMBO course on Imaging Processing in Cryo-EM. Freya’s attendance was supported with a JCS-FocalPlane Training Grant.

Workshop report: York Confocal Microscopy course

Posted by Yelena Ivanova, on 3 February 2026

During the four-day Confocal Microscopy 2025 course at the University of York, I gained a better understanding of both the fundamentals of microscopy and more advanced techniques. The daily schedule consisted of the introduction of the relevant topics in the morning, followed by several hands-on practical sessions. In these, we were split into small groups

Imaris – 3D image visualization and analysis course report

Posted by Quentin LEBEL, on 23 January 2026

I attended a training session at the Bordeaux Faculty to learn how to use IMARIS, a software designed for viewing, measuring, and analyzing 3D microscopy images. The training, organized by the Bordeaux Imaging Center (BIC), was structured to first provide an overview of the software’s broad capabilities and then dig into more specific applications tailored

Workshop report: UC Berkeley’s Advanced Imaging Methods Workshop

Posted by Ben Cox, on 29 May 2025

I attended UC Berkeley’s Advanced Imaging Methods Workshop with goals of becoming more familiar with a) high resolution imaging methods and hardware I did not have access to at my home institution and b) image processing and analysis algorithms, especially those based on machine learning/AI. The workshop provided ample opportunity to fulfill both of these

Workshop report: France BioImaging – Advanced Training on Light-Sheet Microscopy

Posted by Clara Hayn, on 22 May 2025

From November 4th to 7th, 2024, I had the privilege to attend the Advanced Training on Light-Sheet Microscopy‘s Principles and Applications to Neuroscience and 3D Cell Culture at France BioImaging in Bordeaux. This comprehensive training, rich in both theoretical and practical knowledge, provided an exceptional platform for learning and engaging with experts in the field.

Workshop report: 18th LFD Workshop in Advanced Fluorescence Imaging and Dynamics

Posted by FocalPlane, on 15 May 2025

The Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics ran their annual Advanced Fluorescence Dynamics Workshop in October 2024. Three of the attendees, Teemly Contreras, Irene Carlon-Andres and Razeen Shaikh were supported by JCS-FocalPlane Training Grants. They shared their experiences at the workshop here: Teemly Contreras The Advanced Fluorescence Dynamics Workshop organized by Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics (LFD) at

ScanR workshop report

Posted by Rebecca M. Jones, on 3 March 2025

In mid-August 2024, I had the fantastic opportunity of attending the ScanR workshop; held at the Institute of Biophysics in Brno, Czech Republic and organised by world-leading experts who have been using this technology for >10 years. Being renowned as the birthplace of the father of genetics, Gregor Johann Mendel, the location was also special,