FocalPlane

@focalplane

FocalPlane is a community site for anyone with an interest in microscopy. Hosted by Journal of Cell Science (@jcellsci.bsky.social) and The Company of Biologists (@biologists.bsky.social).

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Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir focalplane.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 15

There’s still time to vote in our image competition in collaboration with #ELMI2026. The conference kicks off tomorrow, in more ways than one, with the Core Facility Day and the ever-popular Academy vs Industry football match! focalplane.biologists.com/2026/06/08/f...

Colourful collection of 11 microscopy images.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 10

The first webinar in our #FocalPlaneFeatures #CellMigration webinar series is tomorrow (Thursday 11 June) at 15:00 BST (UTC+1). Join us via Zoom to hear from @juanmagararc.bsky.social, @kyohalie.bsky.social & @djcohen.bsky.social. focalplane.biologists.com/2026/05/29/n...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Apr 10

In our #featuredimage post, we are branching out into AFM with an image showing surface stiffness of an Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl from Emily Oren @slcuplants.bsky.social. Check out our post to discover more about the image and Emily's research: focalplane.biologists.com/2026/04/10/f...

Our featured image, acquired by Emily Oren, shows the surface stiffness of an Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl. It was acquired using a Bruker Biowizard 5 Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and is of plasmolysed epidermal cells on a live seedling. In this image, brighter colours correspond with a higher Young’s Modulus. The stiff anticlinal cell walls are clearly visible, as well as the distinctive stiffness pattern of the guard cells surrounding the stomatal pore.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Apr 9

New on FocalPlane: Interview with Elisabeth Kugler Elisabeth @kuglerelisabeth.bsky.social chats with our Community Manager @helenzsci.bsky.social about her career path and her experience of moving from researcher to setting up her company Zeeks. focalplane.biologists.com/2026/04/09/i...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Mar 30

We are excited to launch a new webinar series, Macro to micro: quantitative plant imaging across scales, organised by @ajcellbio.bsky.social and @joemckenna.bsky.social. Our first webinar will featured talks from @blace.bsky.social and Simon Gilroy. focalplane.biologists.com/2026/03/30/n...

FocalPlane features… quantitative plant imaging across scales
Thursday 30 April, 15:00 BST (UTC+1)
Organised by Alex Johnson and Joe McKenna
Image of Beatrice Lace (University of Freiburg)
Multiplexing and Endogenous Fluorescence Discrimination Using FLIM in Plants
Image of Simon Gilroy (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Do plants feel pain? How imaging has brought plant wound signaling into the human timescale.
#FocalPlaneFeatures focalplane.biologists.com
Image of a segmented root

FocalPlane @focalplane· Mar 18

The next stop on our Imaging with… series is with the team at ADMiRA, the Advanced Microscopy Applications Unit at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico City. Read more about the unit and the team there in our post: focalplane.biologists.com/2026/03/16/i...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Feb 22

Excited for the start of the @biologists.bsky.social Workshop on Macro to Micro: Quantitative Plant Imaging Across Scales at the beautiful Buxted Park. If you would like to organise a Workshop with us, check out our call for proposals: www.biologists.com/workshops/pr... #BiologistsWorkshops

Picture of a ornate door frame next to a FocalPlane banner.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jan 24

The next deadline for @jcellsci.bsky.social FocalPlane Training Grants is 20 February. These grants are open to early-career researchers in cell biology that require funding to attend a microscopy or bioimage analysis training course. www.biologists.com/grants/jcs-f...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Nov 12

To help you plan your conference travel for 2026, we’ve been busy updating our #CellBiology events calendar on FocalPlane. If we are missing your event, feel free to add it to the calendar or reach out to our Community Manager @helenzsci.bsky.social. focalplane.biologists.com/cell-biology...

Screenshot of the FocalPlane Cell Biology events calendar

FocalPlane @focalplane· Nov 5

Incoming deadline - 7 November 2025 Apply for a @jcellsci.bsky.social @focalplane.bsky.social Training Grant to support your attendance at a #microscopy or #bioimageanalysis training course. Open to ECRs in #cellbio. For more info: www.biologists.com/grants/jcs-f...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 15

Last night we learnt about 'Microscopía Para Todos' from Licyel Paulas & 'Educaciencia' from Haydee Hernández Aviña, followed by a chance to play with their microscopes. Read more about Educaciencia: focalplane.biologists.com/2024/08/02/i... #BiologistsWorkshops

Group of people (all with big smiles!) testing out some low-cost microscopes.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 13

Our morning session started with talks on the open science ecosystem from Tobias Wenzel & Hernán Grecco. Both speakers emphasised the importance of training. Quote of the day so far, “By democratising science, we strengthen democracy!” #BiologistsWorkshops focalplane.biologists.com/2022/10/11/a...

Tobias Wenzel x2; on a screen and behind a lecture. Behind Tobias is a banner from The Company of Biologists.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 13

Aníbal Vargas Ríos updated us on the success of LiSIUM and then discussed differences in engagement when offering webinars in Spanish, highlighting the importance of considering language in democratising access. #BiologistsWorkshops lightsheetchile.cl

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 12

Dina Arvanitis @camatnu.bsky.social presented fluorescence microscopy 101, discussing the pros and cons of different methodologies. Take home messages: fancier microscopy ≠ better research; think NA, NA, NA! #BiologistsWorkshops

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 12

Andrés Romero-Carvajal @andresro40.bsky.social shared his research on frogs, fish & education, & concluded with discussing access to microscopy technology in Latin America and his experience in Ecuador. focalplane.biologists.com/2023/07/04/a... #BiologistsWorkshops

Andrés Romero-Carvajal presenting his title slide on 'Developmental Biology and Microscopy in Ecuador'.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 12

Our attendees receive a special welcome in Baños, including our Workshop organiser, Licyel Lenny Paulas Condori. Licyel set up ‘Microscopia Para Todos’, a STEAM outreach programme in Bolivia. Read more about Licyel & her project⤵️: focalplane.biologists.com/2023/04/25/a... #BiologistsWorkshops

People gathered in a wood and glass building with flowers and fruit in the foreground.

People being served drinks in a sunny glass and wood building with lots of greenery in the background.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 12

The attendees are gathered, and the meeting room is ready. The next organiser that we are highlighting is Fernanda Latorre Barragán. You can read about Fer’s career in this interview with @marianadeniz.bsky.social from 2023. #BiologistsWorkshops focalplane.biologists.com/2023/07/25/a...

People smiling at the camera while sitting at a long dinner table.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 11

Final planning with some of the organisers! Helena de la Torre is one of our local organisers. Helena studied at University of Glasgow before returning to Universidad Técnica de Ambato in Ecuador. Discover more about Helena's career: focalplane.biologists.com/2023/07/18/a... #BiologistsWorkshops

Picture of four people with laptops sitting around a round table with a window to a green space.

View from a window with plants in the foreground and steep mountains rising up behind.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 11

Baños welcomed us with sunny skies! One of our Ecuadorian organisers @mariodelr.bsky.social has been a key driving force behind this Workshop. #BiologistsWorkshops Learn more about Mario’s career path: focalplane.biologists.com/2023/08/22/a...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 9

Sunrise over Spain, next stop Quito! One of our Workshop organisers @marianadeniz.bsky.social was featured as one of our #100Biologists earlier this year. Mariana is the author of our Latin American Microscopists interview series. #BiologistsWorkshops focalplane.biologists.com/category/lat...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Oct 9

It was an early morning POD for the @biologists.bsky.social team heading to Ecuador for our Workshop on ‘Democratising Microscopy in Latin America’. Follow along with us at #BiologistsWorkshops You can read more about our @biologists.bsky.social Workshops here: www.biologists.com/workshops/

FocalPlane @focalplane· Sep 18

New JCS snapshot - TMEM184B modulates endolysosomal acidification via the vesicular proton pump Elizabeth Wright presents the key findings from their recent @jcellsci.bsky.social paper with Martha Bhattacharya @marthabhattacharya.bsky.social & colleagues. focalplane.biologists.com/2025/09/17/j...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Aug 21

#FocalPlaneFeatures meets @prelights.bsky.social @fadelvalle.bsky.social & Vibha Singh have picked 2 fantastic #cellbio preprints & will be presenting their preLights alongside research talks from @probablycarmen.bsky.social & Eva Mejia-Ramirez. Register: focalplane.biologists.com/2025/08/20/f...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jul 21

Help shape the future of 🔬 at ‘Imaging in 2035: Sustaining Infrastructure Ecosystems & Advanced Technologies’, as @bioimagingna.bsky.social holds it Community Congress alongside @globalbioimaging.bsky.social's EofE. In-person & virtual options are available. focalplane.biologists.com/2025/07/16/i...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jul 1

If you are attending #mmc2025 and want to learn more about FocalPlane, our microscopy community site, visit our Community Manager @helenzsci.bsky.social at poster 1082. Read about the aims of FocalPlane here: focalplane.biologists.com/about/

Poster about FocalPlane, a microscopy community site hosted by Journal of Cell Science. The poster highlights our global reach, the topics on FocalPlane (News, How to, Tools, Case studies, Interviews, Events, Jobs, Education and Blog series), some example posts, The Company of Biologists, FocalPlane Network and our Microscopy Training Grants with JCS.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 30

The @bioimaginguk.bsky.social Meeting at #mmc2025 gets interactive with sticky dots and post-its. If you have ideas of how the team can help with you data management needs, get in contact, and check out their resources. github.com/bioimaginguk...

Photo of a data life cycle covered with sticky dots and a delegate adding dots, next to be a poster on 'Data Steward Training Project' and post-it notes.

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 26

We're just putting together our next #preprint list, covering research using #microscopy to answer biological questions. We've got a great list so far showcasing a whole host of imaging techniques, including some amazing ExM and vEM images, but we'd love to hear your recommendations! #preprints

Collage of figures extracted from featured preprints

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 19

Check out this PhD position available in @stephanevrg.bsky.social’s lab, exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying plant cell-cell adhesion. One week left to apply! focalplane.biologists.com/cell-biology...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 9

Our next #FocalPlaneFeatures webinar is in collaboration with @mitotalks.bsky.social. For this special webinar, Nuno Raimundo & @wanrooij20.bsky.social have selected 3 talks from @jcellsci.bsky.social's Special Issue: Cell Biology of Mitochondria. 📅3 July focalplane.biologists.com/2025/06/09/m...

FocalPlane @focalplane· Jun 4

The next @bioimagingna.bsky.social and Canada BioImaging STED user group focusses on STED and MINFLUX with a presentation from Zach Marin @zacsimile.bsky.social (Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna @maxperutzlabs.bsky.social). 12 June at 12pm ET focalplane.biologists.com/2025/05/28/s...