February 2024 - FILM-Users

[FILM-Users 01143] Update on HWF1 and Scope Relocation
by Nechyporuk-Zloy, Volodymyr 26 Feb '24

26 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to inform you that the HWF1 is currently not operational. Additionally, the planned relocation of the microscope to a new room was not successful due to technical reasons. We are working diligently to resolve these issues and will keep you updated on the progress. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. Best regards, Volodymyr

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[FILM-Users 01142] BioImage Analysis course at King's College London
by Gaboriau, David C A 22 Feb '24

22 Feb '24

Dear users, Colleagues from the Royal Microscopical Society group Data Analysis in Imaging (RMS-DAIM) are organising a bioimage analysis course at King's College in April, please see details below to apply if you are interested. https://rms-daim.github.io/introduction-to-image-analysis/ All the best, David ---------------------------------------------------- David Gaboriau, PhD (Cantab), FRMS Microscopy Specialist Sir Alexander Fleming Building South Kensington Campus Imperial College London Exhibition Road London, SW7 2AZ SAF 4th floor, open space desk 408 +44 (0)20 7594 9793 d.gaboriau(a)imperial.ac.uk https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/d.gaboriau http://www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/facility-for-imaging-by-light-microscopy/ https://www.imperial.ac.uk/Stories/light-fantastic/ ----------------------------------------------------

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[FILM-Users 01141] Temporarily Reduced FILM Service While We Work to Rebuild Capacity
by Nechyporuk-Zloy, Volodymyr 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Dear FILM Users, We hope this message finds you well. Due to recent staff shortages and an increase in service demands, we are unfortunately required to offer reduced support temporarily as we work on rebuilding our capacity in terms of both staffing and hardware. This message is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the current challenges we face and outline our strategies for addressing these issues to enhance our service in support of our evolving community. **Current FILM Achievements and Challenges:** The FILM team extends our deepest gratitude for your continued support and engagement with our imaging and microscopy facility. Reflecting on 2023, we are proud to have supported 429 users across 156 groups, marking a significant increase in the utilization of FILM scopes. These achievements highlight the importance and impact of our collective efforts. However, alongside these successes, we have encountered several challenges. According to the internationally recognized manual "Advanced Light Microscopy Core Facilities: Balancing Service, Science, and Career<http://edoc.mdc-berlin.de/15636/1/15636oa.pdf>," authored by 15 leading scientific institutions, the optimal user-to-imaging specialist staff ratio is 50:1. Over the past few years, and particularly in 2023, our ratio has significantly exceeded this benchmark (detailed figures and tables are provided at the end of this message), with only myself and David managing the FILM operations for extended periods (4-5 months). The strain is further compounded by our instrument-to-imaging specialist ratio. Not only do we manage a considerable number of instruments, but many of them are outdated and require additional maintenance and attention. Moreover, we are eager to expand FILM to accommodate new user communities at South Kensington and Hammersmith. This expansion necessitates careful planning and additional time to implement effectively. **What is Changing:** In striving to maintain 'business as usual' at FILM, the cumulative impact of these challenges has significantly affected our wellbeing and health. Consequently, we must adjust our operations in the coming weeks to recover our health. This adjustment is crucial for ensuring the continued provision of high-quality support and the long-term integrity of our facility, even if it means a temporary reduction in the pace of our services. Specifically, we anticipate delays in imaging system training and image analysis support. Additionally, we may need to work remotely for 1-2 days per week to address administrative tasks that are typically postponed due to onsite obligations. **What You Can Do:** We understand that these changes may impact your planned activities, and we are committed to minimizing any inconvenience through clear and open communication. We value your understanding and cooperation as we navigate these challenges together. Our commitment to supporting your research endeavors remains strong, and we believe that with mutual support and understanding, we can continue to achieve outstanding results together. We encourage experienced users within groups to collaborate, allowing more efficient use of booking times and training for less experienced users. If you encounter urgent needs, please contact us so we can explore potential solutions together. **When Will Things Improve?** We are pleased to announce the addition of Madeline<https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-tisi-a1b943152/>, our new microscopy specialist, on March 18, 2024, and we anticipate recruiting a multiplex microscopy<https://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/light-microscopes/p/cell-dive/> apprentice later this year. Their integration into our team, along with the decommissioning of some of our oldest equipment, will alleviate the current pressures and enable FILM staff to operate at the standard we all value and take pride in, even though with a reduced availability of microscopes. While the road to recovery may be gradual, it is a necessary path to ensure a stable and confident return to normal operations without facing even greater challenges. We thank you again for your dedication to our service. For any questions or further clarification, please feel free to reach out. Warm regards, FILM Team --- FILM is a very strong outlier in the proportion of staff/users ratio: [Image] FILM staff and users numbers since 2020: Year Staff Users Groups % Over Norm 2023 3 429 156 286% 2022 3.4 426 168 250% 2021 3 383 149 255% 2020 3 321 129 214%

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[FILM-Users 01140] Invitation to Mesolens Imaging Technology Seminar on February 12
by Nechyporuk-Zloy, Volodymyr 09 Feb '24

09 Feb '24

Dear FILM Community, We are pleased to announce a seminar titled "Overview of the Mesolens Imaging Technology," presented by Professor Gail McConnell<https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/persons/gail-mcconnell>. This event will take place on February 12, 2024, at 4 p.m., in the Bessemer 402 and 403 meeting rooms (please note, this is not at RSM). We invite all members to join us for this informative session. The seminar will be hosted by Dr. Christopher J Rowlands<https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/c.rowlands>. Abstract: Since the invention of the microscope, optics have been optimized to match the performance of the human eye. However, since the advent of sensitive and advanced photodetectors the human eye is no longer a limitation. This has created exciting possibilities for new instrumentation in biomedical imaging. We have developed an objective we call the Mesolens that can study large unusually large objects with sub-cellular resolution. The pupil size of the lens is so great that it cannot be used with a conventional microscope frame, so we have built the imaging system around the giant lens. Like the original optical microscope, we have found that the Mesolens has a wide range of applications in biomedical research. I will present an overview of the Mesolens imaging technology, and I will show how we are using it to reveal new information from large biological and clinical specimens. Speaker Biography: Gail McConnell is Professor of Biophotonics at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Following a first degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics (1998) and PhD in Physics from the University of Strathclyde (2002), she obtained a Personal Research Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2003) and a Research Councils UK Academic Fellowship (2005), securing a readership in 2008 and professorship in 2012. The work in Gail’s multidisciplinary research group involves the design, development and application of linear and nonlinear optical instrumentation and new methods for biomedical imaging, from the nanoscale to the whole organism. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, where she is the current Vice Chair of the Light Microscopy Committee. Best regards, Volodymyr

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[FILM-Users 01139] CRI Section Research Club Seminar | Dr Laki Pantazis | Wed 14th Feb
by Moss, Georgina 06 Feb '24

06 Feb '24

Good afternoon all, As part of the CRI Section Research Club Seminar Series, Dr Laki Pantazis is presenting on Wednesday 14th February in SAF 122 from 12:00-13:00. Please see the link below to the events listing page for information about Dr Pantazis's career and research to date. CRI Research Club Seminar | Dr Periklis Pantazis | 'Primed conversion and GenEPi: Chemical and mechanical interrogation of biological systems.' | Events | Imperial College London<https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/172635/cri-research-club-seminar-dr-perik…> Please join us in SAF 122 or via the Teams link provided on the events listing page. There will be some sandwiches and refreshments provided after the seminar. Best wishes Georgie Georgina Moss | Research Group Assistant National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) Imperial College London Level 3, Sir Alexander Fleming Building Exhibition Road London SW7 2AZ Tel: 020 7594 2151 [NHLI banner]

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