Understanding how the brain works at the molecular level is one of the outmost important challenges. Tiny structures inside brain cells are constantly changing to support learning, memory, and behavior, in health and disease. To see and study these structures, scientists use powerful microscopes that go far beyond what standard microscopes can achieve and perform molecular scale imaging. This field is called optical nanoscopy, and it allows researchers to visualize individual proteins and molecular events inside living brain tissue. The Advanced Optical Nanoscopy Platform for Neuroscience is a new initiative that brings together experts in cellular and molecular neuroscience, physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI). With cutting-edge microscopes located at three major research centers, CERVO Brain Research Center (Université Laval), The Neuro (McGill University), and Polytechnique Montréal, this platform will make the most advanced imaging technologies more accessible to Canadian neuroscientists. The Platform will help neuroscientists use nanoscopy to answer key questions about brain structure and activity. It will provide new insights in molecular mechanisms governing brain health and function. The team will develop easy-to-follow protocols, offer training workshops, and create online resources so that even scientists who are not microscopy experts can use these advanced tools in their work. They will also design custom imaging devices for complex neuroscience experimental challenges and explore ways to turn research inventions into real-world technologies. By combining leading-edge tools with collaborative training and open access, the Platform aims to accelerate discoveries in brain health and ensure Canadian researchers remain at the forefront of global innovation in bioimaging and neurophotonics.
Partners & Donors
The Neuro
Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal
