Microscopy

The IMB Advanced Microscopy Platform (IMB AMP) supports cancer research, cell and developmental biology, and cross-disciplinary studies spanning molecular mechanisms to translational applications. The platform houses cutting-edge imaging platforms—including widefield, confocal, multi-photon, super-resolution, spinning disk, and light sheet systems—enabling advanced modalities such as TIRF, FRET, STED, SHG/THG, and FLIM for detailed exploration of cell behaviour and microenvironments. Platform staff offer training, expert consultation, image analysis support, and troubleshooting for lab-based systems, fostering collaboration and accelerating research outcomes.

Established in 2000, the Institute for Molecular Bioscience incorporated existing UQ optical microscopy equipment into the IMB Advanced Microscopy Platform (AMP). The platform has undergone sustained renewal through major competitive infrastructure investments, specifically multiple Australian Cancer Research Foundation awards, the ACRF Dynamic Imaging Facility was founded in 2004 ($1.2m), the ACRF Cancer Biology Imaging Facility was funded in 2008 ($2.5m), and the ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility was founded in 2016 ($2.3m). Additional major investments include support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ($1m), ARC LIEF funding ($1.4m), and the UQ Research Infrastructure Investment Scheme (RIIS). These investments ensure IMB researchers maintain access to current, high-resolution, dynamic imaging capabilities aligned with international standards. 

The IMB’s AMP provides researchers with access to contemporary imaging technologies that support discovery across cancer biology, cell and developmental biology, microbiology, and interdisciplinary biomedical research. The platform supports the investigation of biological systems from the molecular to the tissue scale through advanced live-cell, high-resolution and quantitative imaging approaches. Over the past seven years, AMP has supported 550 users across 51 IMB research groups and more than 56 research groups across UQ and partner institutions, including QUT, Griffith University and industry collaborators. The AMP is one of the most highly utilised imaging environments at UQ, supporting a large and diverse user base across the Queensland Bioscience Precinct and the broader Queensland research community.