Centre for Bioimaging

Staff: Dr Alan Marron, Professor Sue Vaughan

About us

The Centre for Bioimaging at Oxford Brookes University supports your entire research cycle offering facilities for sample culture, preparation, imaging, and analysis—all under one roof.

The Centre is one of only seven UK Bioimaging Node centres. This position allows us to offer top-tier, open-access expertise to researchers across the UK, Europe, and internationally, accelerating high-resolution life science discoveries.

We also specialise in sampling and imaging of eukaryotic parasites, insect vectors, and plant tissues.

An overview of our equipment can be found here. Our expertise includes, but is not limited to:

Complete Containment Support: Equipped with CATII Culturing Facilities and a SAPO Licence for secure handling of regulated and contained samples.
Sample Handling, specialising in eukaryotic parasites, insect vectors, and plant tissues: The centre has extensive experience with chemically fixed and High-Pressure Frozen samples
Volume EM & CLEM Workflows: Specialists in high-resolution 3D imaging, including:
SBF-SEM (Serial Block-Face SEM): Creates 3D reconstructions by automatically imaging the surface of a sample as ultra-thin layers are shaved away.
SEM Tomography: Builds detailed 3D internal maps of thick specimens by taking images from multiple tilt angles.
CLEM (Correlative Light & Electron Microscopy): Links the functional view (light microscope) to the ultra-detailed structure (electron microscope) of the same spot.
Cellular Electron Tomography: Generates atomic-level 3D maps of structures within cells.

Part of

School of Biological and Medical Sciences

Research impact

Volume Electron Microscopy

We are experts in 3D electron microscopy, also known as volume EM (or vEM).

Volume EM has had a huge impact in all areas of biological and medical research, by adding a new dimension to our understanding of the biology of cells and tissues.

We perform vEM techniques routinely, including serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) and serial electron microscopy tomography. Our expertise in vEM is the source of numerous collaborations between our researchers and other institutions around the world.

We are part of the vEM commmunity initiative and are working together with other vEM centres to exchange knowledge and improve techniques. As part of this effort, we organise the SBF-SEM focus interest group, to help the community share tips and tricks and keep up with developments in the field of SBF-SEM.