BBSRC Strategic Review - Bioimaging in the UK

Helping stakeholders understand the key priorities within BBSRC’s bioimaging portfolio, while also helping to inform about its overall strategy in this area, was the reasoning behind the BBSRC’s recently published review of bioimaging in the UK.

Imaging is now the dominant form of analysis of molecules, cells, and tissues across the life sciences. Imaging of biological samples, or bioimaging, is an area of significant interest for BBSRC as bioimaging technologies cut across all areas of BBSRC’s remit and operates at all scales.

The UK bioimaging landscape has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. Taking into account the scientific drivers, technological breakthroughs, substantial investments made and recent community mobilisation, as well as the changing European context, it was considered timely to conduct a strategic review of bioimaging to serve as an evaluation of BBSRC’s current and future approaches to support for bioimaging in the UK.

The review was informed by BBSRC’s expert advisory panels and a dedicated Expert Review Group, comprising representatives from academia and industry; spanning a broad range of disciplinary expertise and career stages.

BBSRC Executive Chair, Professor Melanie Welham, said: “BBSRC recognises that bioimaging is an area of high strategic importance across the life sciences, and its application continues to grow as imaging technologies become ever more sophisticated.”

Professor Michelle Peckham, President of the Royal Microscopical Society says, “The Strategic Review of Bioimaging just released by BBSRC is an insightful and in depth overview of the current state of imaging technologies in the UK, addressing how bioimaging is an essential driver for new discoveries, and underpins world class bioscience.”

Professor Jason Swedlow, lead for the BioimagingUK network, noted “Bioimaging has undergone a revolution in the last few years, with new technologies at all levels - including probes, detectors, light paths, analytics and many others - that combine to truly reveal what couldn’t be seen before. This strategic review is the result of a national survey and year-long community consultation. It defines the priorities for imaging technology, staff expertise, and data resources for the next several years.”

Further information on the review can be found at www.bbsrc.ukri.org