Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub

The fully distributed infrastructure of Euro-BioImaging offers its services via 35 Nodes, made up of 173 internationally renowned imaging facilities, which are located across many European countries and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL.

Euro-BioImaging is coordinated by a tripartite headquarter that consists of the Hubs located in Turku, Finland, the community-specific section for biological imaging (Bio-Hub), hosted by EMBL, and the community-specific section for biomedical imaging (Med-Hub) in Torino, Italy. The ‘ERIC’ stands for European Research Infrastructure Consortium and is a very distinct form of a legal entity established by the European Commission specifically for organizations just like Euro-BioImaging.

EMBL has been the driving force for Euro-BioImaging from the outset, and has coordinated the infrastructure from its first planning phase in 2008 through interim operations to its successful implementation in November 2019.

EMBL’s missions of technology development and transfer, service provision to scientists in its member states and of European integration in the life sciences are perfectly in line with Euro-BioImaging’s goal to open the best national imaging facilities for all researchers in a coordinated and harmonized manner.

By hosting the Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub, EMBL promotes coordinated open access strategies to imaging services. As a Euro-BioImaging Node, EMBL provides open access to cutting-edge imaging services, high-quality training programs and publicly available image data services to Euro-BioImaging users, and contributes leading experience and expertise in imaging technology development and application.

The fruitful collaboration of EMBL and Euro-BioImaging ERIC has driven the development of the European imaging community, as well as different national imaging communities, and reinforces EMBL’s position as the intergovernmental infrastructure organization in life sciences.

Since November 2019, EMBL officially hosts the Euro-BioImaging Bio-Hub and the Euro-BioImaging general data services. Tasks and responsibilities of the Bio-Hub include:

• User access to Euro-BioImaging Nodes, including assistance in identifying suitable technology and Node and administer scientific and technical evaluation
• Coordination of Euro-BioImaging general data services
• Community-specific coordination of training activities
• Strategic support for Nodes, and support for national imaging initiatives of Euro-BioImaging Members
• Community-specific resource management and public relations
• Preparation of community-specific material, such as strategic plans, reports and guidelines, for consideration and approval, if appropriate, by the Euro-BioImaging Board
• Support to the identification of the new imaging technologies with the highest demand in their respective fields and coordination of their proof-of-concept studies
• Support to Nodes on the day-to-day management of image data produced at the Nodes; the Bio-Hub is committed to implement and develop image data management services for their communities
• Support to Nodes in setting up quality assurance activities

Furthermore, the Bio-Hub is also engaged in many additional activities and projects to support the Euro-BioImaging stakeholders and imaging communities in Europe and beyond:

• It hosts the coordination of the Euro-BioImaging Industry Board to strengthen industry-science cross collaboration
• Bio-Hub team members are participating and often leading activities in relevant EC-funded consortia, including EOSC-Life, CORBEL, ERIC Forum and others.

In addition, Bio-Hub team members are leading EMBL’s coordination of Global BioImaging. Global BioImaging is an international network of imaging infrastructures and communities with Euro-BioImaging being one of the eleven partners of Global BioImaging.