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Microscopy preprints – applications in biology

Posted by FocalPlane, on 23 January 2026

Here is a curated selection of preprints published recently. In this post, we share preprints that use microscopy tools to answer questions in biology.

Imaging spotlight: visualising synaptic vesicle fusion by cryo-ET

Posted by FocalPlane, on 21 January 2026

In this paper highlight from Jana Kroll and colleagues, we hear about their research combing optogenetic stimulation with plunge freezing and cryo-electron tomography to study synaptic vesicle fusion.

Imaging spotlight: U-ExM atlas of microbial eukaryotes

Posted by FocalPlane, on 20 January 2026

In this paper highlight from Hiral Shah and colleagues, we learn about their ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) atlas of over 200 cultured planktonic eukaryotes. This post includes technical advice for ExM users and highlights the open-access resource that they have generated for cytoskeleton or marine microorganism aficionados (and microscopy sciart lovers!)

Imaging spotlight: Initiation of chromosome congression deconstructed by multi-scale live lattice light-sheet and super-resolution microscopy

Posted by Kruno Vukušić, on 16 January 2026

In this highlight, Kruno Vukušić and Iva M. Tolić describe how they use multi-scale live lattice light-sheet and super-resolution microscopy to decipher the earliest steps of chromosome congression.

Featured image with Ivan Radin

Posted by FocalPlane, on 16 January 2026

Our featured image, acquired by Ivan Radin, shows a few epidermal cells of tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) leaf, expressing cytosolic GFP. There is a significant variability in expression levels between cells. The brightest region is the nucleus, which is surrounded by a large central vacuole. The cytosol is restricted to the cell periphery. Transvacuolar strands connect

Imaging with… Unidad de Microscopía Avanzada, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UMA UC)

Posted by FocalPlane, on 15 January 2026

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

JCS snapshot: the endoplasmic reticulum protein FAM134B acts as a regulator of mitochondrial morphology

Posted by FocalPlane, on 14 January 2026

In our latest JCS snapshot we hear from Sebabrata Maity, who, together with Oishee Chakrabarti and colleagues, discovered that the endoplasmic reticulum protein FAM134B acts as a regulator of mitochondrial morphology.

Imaging spotlight: Revealing mouse brain ultrastructure using non-destructive X-ray tomography

Posted by FocalPlane, on 13 January 2026

In this paper highlight, Carles Bosch, Ana Diaz, Adrian A. Wanner and Andreas T. Schaefer (on behalf of all authors) describe how they use nondestructive X-ray tomography to map mouse brain tissue ultrastructure .

JCS snapshot - Bile canaliculi formation in primary hepatocytes requires α1β1 integrin-dependent adherens junction re-organisation

Posted by FocalPlane, on 12 January 2026

In our latest JCS snapshot we hear from Anne Müsch, who, together with David Cohen and Francisco Lázaro-Diéguez, discovered that bile canaliculi formation in primary hepatocytes requires α1β1 integrin-dependent adherens junction re-organisation.

Crick BioImage Analysis Symposium (2025) - a review

Posted by Stefania Marcotti, on 12 January 2026

The Crick BioImage Analysis Symposium 2025 (#CBIAS2025) took place in London in November 2025. We asked three early-career participants, Jacqueline Chalakova, Anna Foix and Deniz Bekat, to tell us how it went. Read below for what they had to say! — Jacqueline Chalakova This was my first time participating in the Crick Bioimage Analysis Symposium,

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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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