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Featured image with Jan Martinek

Posted by FocalPlane, on 13 February 2026

Our featured image is a spinning disk fluorescence micrograph, acquired by Jan Martinek, showing an Arabidopsis thaliana root that formed a spiral on a forgotten Petri dish lying flat on the bench. In this orientation, the root cannot grow downward gravitropically, so it keeps turning.

JCS snapshot: RNP1A regulates cell shape in Dictyostelium amoebas

Posted by FocalPlane, on 12 February 2026

In our latest JCS snapshot we hear from Mark Jacob, who, together with Yinan Liu, Douglas Robinson and team, found that the RNA-binding protein RNP1A regulates cell shape in Dictyostelium amoebas. In this snapshot, Mark takes us through the key findings from their research.

Imaging spotlight - How to divide without a ring: a mechanical ratchet drives unilateral cytokinesis

Posted by FocalPlane, on 10 February 2026

In this paper highlight, Jan Brugués and Alison Kickuth discuss the microscopy and microrheology techniques that they used in their research dissecting the mechanics of cytokinesis.

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.

Microscopy preprints: bioimage analysis

Posted by FocalPlane, on 6 February 2026

Here is a curated selection of preprints published (or updated) recently. In this post we focus specifically on bioimage analysis and data management.

Imaging spotlight: ShapeSpaceExplorer

Posted by FocalPlane, on 5 February 2026

In this paper highlight, we learn about ShapeSpaceExplorer, a tool for measuring cell shape of migrating cells, developed by Samuel Jefferyes, Anne Straube and colleagues.

Funding to access UK Euro-BioImaging services: next round closes on 31 March!

Posted by Georgina Fletcher, on 4 February 2026

The next round of applications is open for the UK Bioimaging User Access Fund, which provides UK researchers with access to state-of-the-art bioimaging technologies and analysis services at the UK Node of Euro-BioImaging. What’s Available: The UK Node comprises 14 facilities across 7 leading UK sites*, offering open access to a wide range of advanced

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

2026 Boston Bioimage Analysis Course (BoBiAC)

Posted by Federico Gasparoli, on 3 February 2026

📣 After a successful 2025 edition, we’re excited to share we are now accepting applications for the 💻 2026 Boston Bioimage Analysis Course (BoBiAC)📊! Join us at Harvard Medical School this July for a 6-day intensive hands-on course where you will learn both Python and bioimage analysis, starting from the basics and applying each concept directly to fluorescence microscopy images. If you answered yes

Imaging with… Unidad de Microscopía, Universidad Mayor, Chile

Posted by FocalPlane, on 2 February 2026

In our ‘Imaging with…’ blog post, we meet the team at Unidad de Microscopía Avanzada, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

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Microscopy-related articles from our journals

Toggle-Untoggle – a cell segmentation tool with an interactive user verification interface J Cell Sci 2025 138: jcs264154
The ratio of Wnt signaling activity to Sox2 transcription factor levels predicts neuromesodermal fate potential Development 2025 152: dev204661
The short isoform of Tango1 is dispensable for zebrafish survival but is required for skeletal patterning and integrity Biology Open 2025 14: bio062117

Microscopy-related preprint highlights

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