Innovative Microscopy and Guidance of cells In their Native Environment
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Seeing and steering cells in our tissues
Cells, life’s basic building blocks, have been extensively studied, but how cells self-organise into tissues and how molecular processes inside cells enable tissue formation is poorly understood. IMAGINE! will bring together biology and technology experts to address this major challenge by studying and manipulating cells at the molecular level in their native tissue environment. The programme will provide essential knowledge and tools for regenerative medicine, optimising therapies and repurposing existing drugs.
Our vision
IMAGINE! will transform cell biology by developing and applying advanced microscopy and real-time molecular manipulation techniques to study cells in their natural complexity and diversity. This will allow us to explore the self-organisation principles of tissue at the molecular and cellular levels in both healthy and pathological conditions.
IMAGINE! will generate new, fundamental knowledge on tissue formation and architecture that will advance regenerative medicine, therapies and repurposing of existing drugs.
To realise this vision, IMAGINE! brings together expertise that covers the broad spectrum of molecular cell biology, advanced animal models and organoids, high-resolution cell microscopy, intravital imaging, computational image analysis, machine learning, optogenetics-based tissue manipulation and pharmacology.
IMAGINE! is a Gravitation project (“zwaartekracht” in Dutch), funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Dutch government and supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for 10 years (October 2022 – September 2032).
Last updated: 27.09.2023
NEWS: 29th Sep – Organoid lightshow at the Betweter Festival!
NEWS: 2nd Oct – Weekend of Science at the PMC, Utrecht