The Advanced Imaging Center at Janelia, a Moore Foundation grantee, is home to several cutting-edge microscopes for biological imaging that are ready for use but not yet commercially available.
Users from around the world can submit proposals to use these microscopes. The proposals are judged by experts on scientific merit as well as technical feasibility. High-risk, high reward projects that require the unique microscopes the center provides are most likely to be accepted.
As described in an editorial this month in Nature Methods, "the benefits of such core facilities for individual users are fairly obvious. Users gain access to cutting-edge or one-of-a-kind instruments, or they can take a microscope for a test run before deciding whether to build or purchase it themselves, with low overall risk. In addition, the chances of experimental success are improved by the guidance and training provided by technical experts."
The editors go on to describe the longer-term benefits of such a core facility, including identifying problems and developing improvements for these microscopes, as well as generating the excitement necessary to drive commercialization.
Read the full article here.
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