A Nanoscopic Bioimaging Center catalyzing interdisciplinarity
The convergence of expertise in health and environmental sciences, combined with cutting-edge technologies, could lead to significant breakthroughs in our understanding of the biological processes underlying complex issues, observable at the nanoscale.
Cutting-edge technology for the infinitely tiny
A team led by Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal (Faculty of Medicine) and Marcel Babin (Faculty of Science and Engineering) inaugurated the Abberior-CERVO Nanoscopic Bioimaging Center (CBNAC) in October 2025. By combining the latest advances in physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and neuroscience, the Center provides the academic community with an optical imaging platform that enables the study of living organisms at an infinitely small scale. Thanks to instruments capable of achieving a resolution of 3 to 5 nanometers, researchers can now observe molecular interactions within cells and their environment in real time, without altering them.
A platform as a catalyst for interdisciplinarity
The CBNAC serves as a true interdisciplinary hub, where expertise, tools, and know-how converge to address complex health and environmental challenges, such as neurological disorders, the spread of infectious diseases, and the measurement of climate change’s effects on the environment. These novel interactions between specialists from different fields foster the cross-pollination of ideas and open up new avenues for research.
The platform includes a central nanoscopic module based at the CERVO Brain Research Centre, as well as compact, portable modules distributed across the campus. By deploying this cutting-edge technology at various strategic locations, this infrastructure network provides equitable access to some of the world’s most powerful microscopes, fostering the mobilization of diverse expertise and stimulating new collaborations.
Benefits for research and education
Although still in its early stages, the CBNAC promises significant benefits. It will provide the scientific community with access to infrastructure that is unique in Canada, and which is capable of accelerating discoveries at the intersection of different fields. It will also help train a new generation of researchers skilled at navigating between the life sciences and the most advanced optical technologies.
To learn more about the CBNAC, please contact Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal
