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 26 June 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!

SFBS 2026: extended deadline and first programme highlights

Posted by Marine Beraud, on 22 June 2026

The Sino-French BioImaging Symposium 2026 is coming to Bordeaux (France) from October 19 to 21, 2026, for three days dedicated to Super-Resolution Microscopy for Biological Imaging. Organized in the framework of the CNRS International Research Network – BioImage, SFBS 2026 will bring together leading international scientists to explore the latest advances in super-resolution microscopy, advanced optical imaging and quantitative biology. The programme is gradually being unveiled, with

FocalPlane features… cell migration recordings with Juan Manuel Garcia Arcos, Yohalie Kalukula & Daniel J. Cohen

Posted by FocalPlane, on 18 June 2026

In June, we hosted the first webinar in our new series on emergent models and quantitative analysis of cell migration, hosted by Pablo J. Sáez and Valeria Venturini. We heard talks from Juan Manuel García-Arcos, Yohalie Kalukula and Daniel J. Cohen.

Imaging spotlight: Cryo-ExM reveals the architecture of the human cytotoxic immunological synapse

Posted by FocalPlane, on 15 June 2026

In this behind the paper story, Benita Wolf and colleagues share their research using cryo-expansion microscopy (cryo-ExM) to map the architecture of the human cytotoxic immunological synapse.

Microscopy preprints: bioimage analysis

Posted by FocalPlane, on 12 June 2026

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

FocalPlane x ELMI2026 image competition: vote for your favourite

Posted by FocalPlane, on 8 June 2026

Vote for your favourite image. Voting will finish on 18 June, the penultimate day of the ELMI2026 meeting. The winner will be announced on the final day of the conference.

BINA Nanoscopy User Group, June 11, 12 PM ET

Posted by Ethan A. Perets, on 3 June 2026

The next BioImaging North America Nanoscopy User Group will take place via Zoom on June 11 at 12 PM ET/11 AM CT/9 AM PT. Hijab Fatima (Columbia University Irving Center) will deliver the presentation “Decoding Nanoscale Protein Organization in NK Cells Using DNA-PAINT”, followed by community discussion. The focus of the Nanoscopy User Group is to create

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