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Imaging in Turku: Turku PET Centre, Turku Cell Imaging Core and Turku Bioimaging
Collaboration between academia and clinical nuclear imaging in Turku has been strong since the 1970s. To ensure that this collaborative tradition continues, Turku Cell Imaging Core (CIC) and the Turku PET Centre have implemented an initiative to further increase interdisciplinary interaction between basic bioscience researchers and those working in nuclear medicine in Turku as well as at a national level. This initiative was further strengthened in 2006 when the Ministry of Education appointed Turku as the national coordinating centre for imaging in Finland as part of a new national enterprise known as Biocentre Finland. Corresponding to this formalized joint initiative, the Turku Cell Imaging Core and Turku PET Centre combined to coordinate this Nordic Network on Imaging in Medicine and Biology.
Turku BioImaging is an umbrella organisation that encompasses all imaging resources in Turku. In addition to Turku PET Centre and Turku Cell Imaging Core, Turku Bioimaging includes the facilities of the University of Turku Electron Microscopy Core and Turku Centre for Disease Modelling.
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Turku Cell Imaging Core
Web page
http://cic.btk.fi
Contact person
Eleanor Coffey
Turku Cell Imaging Core is a centralised facility that coordinates biological imaging activities between the University of Turku, �bo Akademi University, VTT Technical Research Centre, Turku Functional Genomics Centre, the National Centre for Disease Models and the biophysics community, while providing services at the national level. The mission of CIC is to provide state-of-the-art cell imaging and cell sorting technologies and to make them available to the national research community. The primary goal of CIC is to enhance the research and teaching environment of BioCity Turku. To help meet these goals, the core unit
- provides technical training to local and visiting researchers
and to industries
- offers consultation on experimental design and image analysis
- evaluates new methods and fluorescence tools and communicates acquired
knowledge to users
- implements advances in hardware and software relevant for biomedical
sciences
- provides ongoing education in theory and practice by organising training
courses and international workshops
As a result, CIC has grown in significance, the services provided being instrumental to the publication of well over 200 international scientific articles in recent years. Our user number increased to 216 and includes industrial and academic researchers. The Cell Imaging Core is a communal structure with a steering group consisting of group leaders from 10 local research groups with a focus on imaging as part of their research theme. We maintain 2 full time technical engineers (Jouko Sandholm and Perttu Terho) who maintain the instruments and provide one-to-one training to users.
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Turku Pet Centre
Web page
http://pet.utu.fi
Contact person
Juhani Knuuti(at)utu.fi
The Turku PET Centre is a Finnish National Research Institute for the use of short-lived positron emitting isotopes in the field of medical research. The centre was established in the 1970s and it currently employs more than 110 staff members and investigators from various research fields. The core functions of Turku PET Centre are based on collaboration between the University of Turku, �bo Akademi University and Turku University Hospital. The Centre integrates top scientific expertise with excellent facilities and equipment located centrally on the university campus and university hospital. Fruitful interaction and collaboration between basic scientists and clinical investigators is a long-standing tradition. Turku PET centre works on the development of new tracers, comprising experimental, preclinical and clinical studies with new compounds and drugs. The PET centre also carries out clinical investigations. The location of the Centre on the site of the University hospital facilitates the study of seriously ill patients. The scientific research strategy of Turku PET Centre involves four major topics: Cellular energy metabolism, Neurotransmission, Drug discovery and development and Radiochemistry research. Collaboration between academia and pharma industry is active.
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Helsinki Functional Imaging Center
Web page
http://www.hfic.helsinki.fi
Contact person
Elina Ikonen
elina.ikonen (at) helsinki.fi
Description
Helsinki Functional Imaging Center (HFIC) is an imaging center that provides
analysis tools, services, and training for a wide scope of imaging methods
including electron microscopy (EM), cryo-EM and tomography, scanning EM,
a large set of fluorescence and light microscopy applications as well
as small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). HFIC coordinates imaging
activities of ten core facilities, several member laboratories and 23
full-time employees. Future key development areas of HFIC include development
of sophisticated image analysis tools and software utilizing mathematical
modeling and computational image analysis.
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Multimodal Imaging Core at Kuopio University
Web page
http://www.uku.fi/aivi/muic/
Contact person
Michael Courtney
courtney (at) messi.uku.fi
Description
The Multimodal Imaging Core at Kuopio University provides infrastructure
for high-throughput and high-resolution imaging of live cells, training
courses and specialised lectures in these fields in Kuopio and at national
meetings respectively. The equipment has been selected and set up primarily
for monitoring intracellular signalling pathways and multiparameter measurements.
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Web page
http://www.jyu.fi/science/laitokset/bioenv/en/research/motu/jif
Contact person
Varpu Marjomäki
vmarjoma(at)cc.jyu.fi
Description
Jyväskylä Imaging facility is situated in the Department of
Biological and Environmental Science and in the Nanoscience center. It
t provides infrastructure for high-resolution fluorescence microscopy,
electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy for students and researchers
in biology, chemistry, physics and nanoscience. In addition, the core
provides training for local researchers and organizes courses and workshops
for national and international students.
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Tissue Imaging Center at Biocenter Oulu - BCO - TIC
Web page
http://www.biocenter.oulu.fi
Contact persons
Sinikka Eskelinin
sinikka.eskelinen (at) oulu.fi (Light Microscopy core)
Raija Sormunen
raija.sormunen (at) oulu.fi (EM-core)
Description
Biocenter Oulu (University of Oulu, Finland) offers confocal microscopy,
image processing and electron microscopy services through a dedicated
core facility set up. We house state-of-the art equipment both for light
and electron microscopy, located at the Biocenter Oulu laboratories in
the Main Building of the Medical Campus at the University of Oulu, Finland.
The Electron microscopy core facility offers full service packages on the diagnostics of cells and tissues, including specimen preparation for transmission electron microscopy, assisted electron microscopic imaging, expertise on mouse pathology and cryo-immunoelectron microscopy. The expertise and instrumentation of BCO-TIC includes also scanning electron microscopy and biological applications in focused ion beam technology FIB-SEM.
The Fluorescence microscopy core facility offers expertise on confocal microscopy and video microscopy especially for imaging thick specimens and cells cultured within thick gels.
