FocalPlane - Where biology meets microscopy

Welcome to FocalPlane

FocalPlane is a community site for anyone who uses microscopy in their research. It is a place where you can interact with a global community of imaging scientists, engineers, chemists, and bioimage analysts.

FocalPlane is your site and once registered, you are free to share a blog post, add an image to our gallery, post a job advert or put up an event listing.

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Recent posts

Microscopy preprints – new tools and techniques in imaging

Posted by FocalPlane, on 18 September 2026

Here is a curated selection of the latest preprints on new tools and techniques in imaging. Let us know if we are missing any recent preprints that are on your reading list!

Funding for Imaging Services for Start-ups and SMEs

Posted by Johanna Bischof, on 11 September 2026

SME Access Pilot: Funding for Imaging Services for Start-ups and SMEs Are you a start-up or SME looking to solve a research or technical challenge using advanced imaging? The Euro-BioImaging SME Access Pilot offers funded access to Europe’s leading biological and biomedical imaging facilities, helping companies generate proof-of-concept data, evaluate new technologies, access specialised expertise,

Featured image with Elena Nicolay

Posted by FocalPlane, on 11 September 2026

Our featured image, acquired by Elena Nicolay, shows double-transgenic zebrafish larvae in a Pop Art-style collage, with macrophages and neurons depicted in different colours.

Imaging spotlight: FOCUS-3D

Posted by FocalPlane, on 10 September 2026

In this Imaging spotlight, Qinghua Zhang, Joaquín Navajas Acedo, Guoqiang Yu and team introduce FOCUS-3D, a tool for segmenting cells from 3D fluorescence microscopy images. We learn what’s different about FOCUS-3D and how the researchers made it useful and usable for a wide-range of biologists.

Imaging spotlight: Live imaging reveals epithelial cell extrusion in a sea anemone

Posted by Ines Fournon-Berodia, on 7 September 2026

In this Imaging spotlight, Inés Fournon Berodia and colleagues share how live confocal imaging and machine-learning-assisted image analysis revealed epithelial cell extrusion in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

Microscopy preprints: bioimage analysis

Posted by FocalPlane, on 4 September 2026

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

BINA Nanoscopy User Group, September 10, 12 PM ET

Posted by Ethan A. Perets, on 3 September 2026

The next BioImaging North America Nanoscopy User Group will take place via Zoom on September 10 at 12 PM ET/11 AM CT/9 AM PT. Nicolas H. Piguel (Center for Advanced Microscopy, Northwestern University) will deliver the presentation “Imaging with the MIRAVA POLYSCOPE”, followed by community discussion. The focus of the Nanoscopy User Group is to create a

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