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: 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

FocalPlane features… cell migration webinar 2

Posted by FocalPlane, on 3 September 2026

Register for the second webinar in our FocalPlane features… cell migration series. In this webinar, we focus on new models for studying cell migration.

Featured image with Luz María Fuentealba Pérez

Posted by FocalPlane, on 28 August 2026

Our featured image, acquired by Luz María Fuentealba Pérez, shows the last breath of Arabidopsis thaliana, the most widely used plant model worldwide.

Imaging spotlight: CenSpark

Posted by FocalPlane, on 24 August 2026

In this Imaging spotlight, we hear about CenSpark, a small molecule probe for live imaging of centrioles, from Cédric Pourroy, Georgios Hatzopoulos, Pierre Gönczy and team.

Microscopy preprints: applications in biology

Posted by FocalPlane, on 21 August 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.

JCS snapshot – Golgi disintegration and functional disruption during paraptosis

Posted by FocalPlane, on 19 August 2026

In our latest JCS snapshot we hear from Xiang Cui, who, together with Min Cui and team, uncover a role for Golgi disintegration and functional disruption during paraptosis. In this snapshot, Xiang Cui take us through the key findings from their research.

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