Researcher Claudia Sánchez, from the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), is carrying out a project at Euro-BioImaging Spain’s Barcelona Mesoscopic Imaging Node (BMIN) thanks to an I4ALL Access Grant. During her stay at ICFO’s Super-Resolution Light Microscopy and Nanoscopy Lab (SLN), she is using cutting-edge imaging technology to investigate calcium dynamics in mouse sperm cells.
Understanding how sperm cells regulate calcium signalling is key to studying motility and fertilisation processes. However, capturing these highly dynamic events requires specialised imaging technologies capable of providing high-speed, high-resolution information in three dimensions.
Through the I4ALL Access Grant programme, Claudia Sánchez has gained access to the Barcelona Mesoscopic Imaging Node (BMIN), part of Euro-BioImaging Spain, and specifically to the Super-Resolution Light Microscopy and Nanoscopy Lab (SLN) at ICFO. There, she is using a custom-built Fast Volumetric Imaging Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscope to study calcium dynamics in mouse sperm under different physiological conditions.
The advanced imaging capabilities available at SLN enable researchers to visualise fast biological processes with minimal photodamage while generating volumetric datasets suitable for quantitative analysis. These features make light-sheet microscopy a powerful tool for investigating complex cellular mechanisms in living samples.
Throughout the project, the SLN team is providing comprehensive support, accompanying the researcher at every stage of the workflow. This includes sample preparation, experimental design, image acquisition and quantitative image analysis, ensuring that the scientific objectives can be addressed effectively and that high-quality data are obtained.
This project highlights the value of open access to cutting-edge imaging technologies and specialised expertise through research infrastructures such as Euro-BioImaging. By connecting researchers with advanced imaging facilities across Europe, programmes like I4ALL help accelerate discovery, foster international collaboration and enable scientists to tackle scientific and social challenges that would otherwise be difficult to address.
For Claudia Sánchez, the opportunity to work closely with imaging experts and access state-of-the-art instrumentation provides new possibilities to advance her research and gain insights into fundamental biological processes.
At Euro-BioImaging Spain, we are proud to support researchers from around the world by offering access not only to advanced imaging technologies, but also to the knowledge and experience of the experts who operate them.