About
Flanders BioImaging
Flanders BioImaging (FlaBI) is a research infrastructure established through the synergistic collaboration of 9 imaging core facilities from the five Flemish universities and VIB (the Flemish research institute for biotechnologies). Each core facility delivers top-notch imaging technologies and particular expertise reflecting the research interests of its academic leadership and the needs of its users. In particular, the two scientific themes that are central to the academic focus of the consortium are oncology and CNS diseases.
To highlight the specialized nature of the facilities, they are referred to as FlaBI's spearpoints.
FlaBI's Mission
1
Integrate & Coordinate imaging facilities
Flanders Bioimaging represents a platform in which state-of-the-art Flemish imaging facilities work synergically towards integrating, optimizing, rationalizing, and coordinating available imaging infrastructure in Flanders.
2
International
Open-access
As the Belgian node in the Euro-BioImaging ERIC, Flanders BioImaging actively supports international open-access to advanced imaging technologies and methods across Flanders and Europe.
3
Open and FAIR
data management
We develop Open and FAIR data management tools for biological and biomedical imaging in Flanders and beyond, closely coordinating with other consortia, such as Euro-BioImaging, the Flemish Research Data Network, and ELIXIR.
An interuniversity & multimodal imaging infrastructure
The current status and composition of Flanders BioImaging was consolidated in 2023, when FlaBI successfully obtained a 4.3 million € IRI funding to support operation as a full infrastructure. The IRI (international research infrastructure) programme is intended to support Flemish participation in European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) of strategic importance to Flanders, promoting the performance of Flemish consortia and integration in international strategic basic research across all scientific disciplines via open access.
Therefore, the IRI grant also allowed FlaBI to become the official single point of contact for handling user access to all the Flemish imaging sites by international users via Euro-BioImaging, a consortium that obtained the ERIC status in 2019.
Membership of EuroBioimaging is central to attracting funded users and collaborators to Flanders, providing an overall ‘brain gain’ both to the region and to Europe.
In 2026, FlaBI will need to report on its activity and compete for a renewal of the IRI grant.
Microscopy Spearpoints
The advanced microscopy part of FlaBI is a collaborative network of scientists who use fluorescence microscopy to investigate biological questions. It specializes in fluorescence imaging, ranging from single-molecule visualization to imaging of integrated cell systems. They provides cutting edge microscopy services and develop novel schemes for analyzing and interpreting the obtained images, focusing on dynamic tissue imaging ranging from single molecules to whole organisms, with a strong focus on BioImage Informatics.
• @CIC KU Leuven
Integrating live fluorescence imaging with non-linear optical microscopy.
• @AOMC at UHasselt
Dynamic structural biology via Single-molecule FRET and Correlation Spectroscopy
• @BIC VIB-KU Leuven Correlative light/electron microscopy (CLEM)
• @ACAM University of Antwerp Data-driven microscopy of brain disease
• @ GLIM Core at Ghent University Pharmacokinetic imaging
Preclinical Spearpoints
The Molecular Imaging consortium in FlaBI comprises highly specialized facilities that integrate the highly sensitive techniques of PET, SPECT, microPET, and microSPECT with state-of-the-art anatomo-functional imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, and optical imaging. Its mission is to develop an integrated set of core technologies for fundamental research studies, clinical trials, and drug development through a complete set of translational imaging infrastructures extending from mice to humans.
• @MIRaCLe KU Leuven
Translational imaging biomarkers of central nervous system disease
• @MICA University of Antwerp
Early Biomarkers for Oncology and Neurodegenerative Diseases
• @Core ARTH Infinity at Gent University
Multimodal non-invasive in vivo medical imaging for radiotherapy studies of laboratory animals
• @MITH VUB
Biological radiopharmaceuticals and clinical translation of bio-theranostics.