Community news

Introducing Microscopy Australia

World-class research infrastructure drives world-class research, which in turn drives discovery and innovation. Microscopy Australia, enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, is ensuring that researchers are able to access high-end platforms with dedicated platform experts, placed in strategic locations, throughout the nationwide network.

Microscopy Australia, established in 2007, provides open-access, university-based microscopy and microanalysis facilities around Australia. This stable and successful research infrastructure is united by values of collaboration, accessibility, excellence and innovation. This means that researchers from any institution or industry can use any of the instruments across our network. Access is subsidised for publicly funded researchers at rate that is affordable on most Australian research grants, and reduced rates are offered to international researchers. Microscopy Australia’s facilities also provide training and fee-for-service analysis (for more information: https://micro.org.au/academic/access-guide/).

Microscopy Australia has invested in four state-of-the-art technologies to underpin Australia’s future research and industry advances:

1. atomic scale microscopy

2. cryo-electron microscopy

3. correlative microscopy techniques

4. high-sensitivity microanalytical tools.

Located all around Australia, our facilities are at:

1. The University of Queensland, the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis

2. The University of Sydney, Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis

3. UNSW Sydney, Electron Microscope Unit

4. Australian National University, Centre for Advanced Microscopy and the CTlab

5. Monash University, the Monash Centre for EM and the Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-EM

6. The University of Western Australia, the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis

7. The University of Adelaide, Adelaide Microscopy

8. The University of South Australia, Future Industries Institute

9. Flinders University, Flinders Microscopy and Microanalysis.

Microscopy Australia is connected to an additional nine affiliated linked laboratories, increasing the national skilled microscopy workforce by providing professional development opportunities, including Staff Shadowing visits and training programs.

With the help of our experts, Microscopy Australia provides free online microscopy training through MyScope. Technique Finder helps users who aren’t sure which microscopy technique is right for their project to select the one that can help them best. Our YouTube channel includes a wide range of videos, from theory through to hands on demonstrations. Keep an eye on our Twitter for events and career opportunities. Check out our public engagement initiatives, including two exhibitions and ‘MyScope Explore’ here (https://micro.org.au/micro-wow/curious-minds/).

Microscopy Australia is enabled by the Australian federal government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, in partnership with state government and institutional support.

Microscopy Australia hosts nine facilities at different locations across the continent.

Array Tomography Workshop Munich 2024

Munich, Germany | November 4 – 8, 2024

Our Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funded “Array Tomography (AT) Training and Network” organized a first workshop at the German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich beginning of November 2024.

For a real hands-on experience, only 20 participants were selected and, besides our team of nine CZI-funded AT enthusiasts, another ten speakers and instructors as well as industry representants were added. The welcome evening at the Campus Home Lounge provided the opportunity to closely interact by scientific speed dating, creative name tags and interactive posters.

On the first day, Helmut Gnägi paved the way with a technically insightful opening talk on the art and science of ultramicrotomy while Bruno Humbel laid a solid foundation by talking about sample preparation. The morning sessions were packed with scientific talks on the application and development of diverse AT methods, ranging from traditional automated tape collecting ultramicrotomy (ATUM) and rigid support AT to magnetic collection, correlated (CLEM) and multimodal approaches.

Richard Schalek and Kevin Briggman reported about technical challenges and achievements of AT for large scale projects in connectomics while Mark Terasaki, Jemima Burden and others revealed the diverse spectrum of applications and scales of AT. The other mornings were dedicated to CLEM, with Kristina Micheva, Mariano Soiza-Reilly and Thomas Misgeld and an overview of image analysis for AT by Josh Morgan. Naomi Kamasawa and Jemima Burden provided overviews of opportunities and limitations of the diverse AT approaches.

In the afternoons we had four different hands-on courses on rigid support AT, ATUM, imaging and image analysis as well as immunofluorescence AT. This provided a lot of time for intense interaction and direct consulting of the participants.

On the last day, we focused on novel developments and an intense feedback round where the participants reported on lessons learned and their next steps. We all agreed that we learned so much from this interaction and thought about ways to further develop and apply AT in the future and lower entry barriers. The participants appreciated the tight interaction with academic and industry partners, a key element for successful technology application and development of the diverse AT approaches.

The evening events provided the opportunity to explore Munich in small groups during a city rally and learn about the history of microscopy at the Deutsches Museum. Finally, the golden radish spiralizer was awarded at the Bavarian radish serial sectioning contest, although we agreed that this technique won’t make it to the novel development section at next year’s workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The report and the photo were kindly provided by Martina Schifferer.

https://www.arraytomography.org/workshop-2024.html

A special highlight of the Array Tomography Workshop Munich 2024 was the visit of the Deutsches Museum (German Museum), a historical collection of science and technology.

Spotlight on the 13th Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress (APMC13)

Brisbane, Australia | February 2–7, 2025

The countdown is on for APMC13, set to take place in Brisbane, Australia, from February 2–7, 2025. Hosted by the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Society (AMMS), the event will bring together leading experts, researchers, and industry professionals to explore advancements in light, ion, and electron microscopy. With its unique integration of indigenous culture and cutting-edge science, APMC13 promises to be a transformative gathering, highlighting the role of analytical technologies in advancing a sustainable, cyclic green economy.

Back to the beginnings: ELMI 2025 in Heidelberg

Heidelberg, Germany | June 3–6, 2025

After this year’s [2024] highly successful meeting in Liverpool, the 25^th international meeting of the European Light Microscopy Initiative (ELMI) will take place from the 3^rd to the 6^th of June 2025 in Heidelberg, Germany at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and it will be a return to where it all started.