Open access to cutting-edge electron and light microscopy
We provide researchers from Europe and beyond with a synergistic portfolio of imaging services including cryo-EM, super-resolution and intravital microscopy to enable new ground-breaking research that crosses the scales of biology.
The main mission of the EMBL Imaging Centre is to rapidly make the most advanced microscopy technologies available to the broad scientific international user community from both academia and industry.
Delivering the most advanced imaging technologies to our users means constantly pushing our platforms and workflows forward. Help shape the future of imaging at EMBL in Heidelberg by joining our growing team! We’re looking for talented specialists to contribute to the development and delivery of…
Over the past decade, single particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) has become the method of choice for 3D structure determination of (large) biological macromolecules, offering several advantages over other techniques. This transformation from a niche technique into a widely used one has…
The first edition of the WoW Award concluded with an inspiring ceremony at the EMBL Imaging Centre, celebrating the extraordinary scientific images created by researchers and imaging experts across EMBL. Hosted in front of the large LED wall – the Window of Wonder – centerpiece of the…
We are delighted to invite you to the EMBL Imaging Centre Symposium, taking place on 13–14 October 2026 at EMBL Heidelberg, Germany. This two-day event will bring together researchers to explore the latest advances across a broad range of technologies, from cryo-electron and super-resolution…
Recent developments in cellular structural biology approaches revolutionised the researchers’ ability to investigate biological processes. The direct imaging of unperturbed cellular environments of vitrified specimens now allows to analyse the function and structure of macromolecular complexes…
Following the full implementation of ‘Serial lift-out for cryo-electron tomography’, the next two services we plan to add to our portfolio are Oblique Plane Microscopy (OPM), and Brillouin Microscopy, both of which are aimed at enabling investigations in living cells and organisms. The…
This year, we are expanding our portfolio with three powerful new imaging services, giving the life-science community access to cutting-edge technologies for studying biological structure, dynamics, and mechanics across scales. Serialised lift-out for cryo-electron tomography, Oblique Plane…
As 2025 drew to a close, we at the EMBL Imaging Centre (IC) took time to reflect on a year defined by growth, scientific progress, and technological development. It has been a rewarding year for our team, from welcoming an increasingly international community of users to advancing our in-house…
Hello from the EMBL Imaging Centre! I am Virginia Pierini, the Service Manager, and I recently had the invaluable opportunity to spend a week immersed in the world of France-BioImaging at the Bordeaux Imaging Centre. This job-shadowing visit, made possible by the EVOLVE programme, was a crucial…
Have you visited the Imaging Centre at EMBL Heidelberg and were wondering what you would need to do to see your image displayed on the large LED wall that is part of the exhibition? The EMBL Imaging Centre and EMBL’s exhibition “The World of Molecular Biology” are looking for new images to be…