The Pasteur-IRCAN Cellular and Molecular Imaging core facility (PICMI) expertise covers multi-scale imaging from the molecule to the organism in the fields of cancer and aging. It is located in the PEMED PCV building (K building CHU Pasteur, Nice). This facility is a member of MICA multi-site platform (Microscopie Imagerie Cytométrie Azur). PICMI gathers equipments in brightfield, phase contrast, polarisation and fluorescence imaging microscopy.
Expertise/ Service offer/ Applications
PICMI provides expertises and state of the art technologies in photonic microscopy, to allow from subcellular analysis to tissue sections imaging :
- multi-dimensional (multi-colours, Z-stacks, image mosaics, multi-well plate imaging, kinetics
- Wide-field microscopy (brightfield, phase contrats, polarisation) and fluorescence
- Spectral and fast confocal microscopy, pseudo super-resolution (Airy Scan technology)
- Light sheet imaging on fixed or living samples (clearing of organs and organisms)
- TIRF microscopy
- Analysis of subcellular mobility and molecular interactions.
- Image deconvolution (Huygens Remote Manager from MICA) and Image analysis en 2D (Fiji, Ilastik…) and 3D (Imaris)
PICMI provides all the equipment and supports users in their autonomy on microscopes.
PICMI collaborates on science and technology projects.
PICMI is involved in regional and national diffusion of knowledge and know-how through MICA trainings and scientific animation.
Members
Soline ESTRACH CRHC Inserm, Scientific manager
Frédéric BRAU, IRHC CNRS
Aaron MENDEZ BERMUDES, IR Inserm
Serge BAUWENS, IR CNRS
Laurent GROSSE, IR CNRS
Sabrina PISANO, IR Inserm
Equipment
Upright Laser-Scanning Confocal Microscope LSM 800 (Carl Zeiss)
- Lasers lines : 405, 488, 561, 633 nm
- Objectives:
- EC Plan-Neofluar 10x/0,3
- Plan-Apochromat 20x/0.8
- Plan-Apochromat 40x/0,95
- Plan-Apochromat 63x/1.4 DIC
- 3 PMT detectors including 1 GAsP
- XY motorized stage
- ZEN Blue software
Inverted Laser-Scanning Confocal Microscope LSM 880 Airy scan (Carl Zeiss)
- Lasers lines : Diode 405nm, Argon : 458nm, 488nm, 514nm, DPSS 561nm, HeNe 633nm
- Objectives:
- EC Plan-Neofluar 10x/0,3
- Plan-Apochromat 20x/0.8
- Plan-Apochromat 40x/1.4
- 2 PMT detectors, 1 spectral detector 32 channels GaAsp, 1 Fast AiryScan
- XY motorized stage with Z piezo stage
- CO2 and temperature controler
- ZEN Black software
Light Sheet Fluorescent Microscope Light Sheet Z.1 (Carl Zeiss)
- Lasers lines : 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 633nm
- 2 sCMOS PCO.edge cameras
- Objectives : Illumination : 5X and 10X
- Acquisition : 5X, 20X and 20X for transparisation
- Incubation chamber 5x,20x n=1.33, 5x n=1.45 and 20x n=1.45 for transparisation.
- CO2 and temperature controller,
- ZEN Blue software
Video-microscope and TIRFM DeltaVision Elite (GE- Leica Microsystems)
- Laser lines : 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 632nm
- sCMOS PCO.edge camera
- Olympus IX microscope
- XY motorized stage
- Objectives:
- 20x/0.75, 60x/1.42/oil, 100x/1.40/oil
- CO2 and temperature controller
- Linux station with acquisition software with online deconvolution
8 slide holder Axio Imager Z2 Microscope (Carl Zeiss)
- Metal halide HXP 120C lamp for fluorescence
- Filter cubes : Dapi, FITC, Cy3, Texas Red
- Objectives:
- Plan-Apochromat 10x/0.45 Ph1
- EC Plan-Neofluar 20x/0.5 Ph2
- Plan-Apochromat 40x/0.95 Korr
- Plan-Apochromat 63x/1.40 Oil DIC
- Plan-Apochromat 100x/1.40 Oil DIC
- sCMOS Axiocam 705 mono B/W Camera for brightfield and fluorescence imaging (pixel size 3.45 x 3.45µm)
- 8 slides holder XY motorized stage
- Zen Bue software
Video-microscope Axiovert 200M (Carl Zeiss)
- Metal halide HXP 120C lamp for fluorescence
- Objectives:
- A-Plan 5x/0.12
- A-Plan 10x/0.25 Ph1
- LD Plan-Neofluar 20x/0.4 Ph2 Korr
- LD A-Plan 32x/0.4 Ph1
- Fluar 40x/1.3
- EMCCD CASCADE II:512 Photometrics camera (pixel size: 16×16μm)
- XY motorized stage
- CO2 and temperature controller
- MetaMorph software
Video-microscope Axio Observer Z1 (Carl Zeiss)
- Colibri illumination module (LEDs excitation at 365nm, 470nm, 555nm, 625nm) for fluorescence
- Filter cubes : Dapi, GFP, DsRed, Cy5, Analyzer (for polarisation imaging)
- Definite Focus, objectives 2,5x/0,75/PlanNEOFLUAR,
- EC Plan-Neofluar 10x/0.3 Ph1
- LD Plan-Neofluar 20x/0.4 Ph2 Korr
- Plan-Apochromat 20x/0.8
- LD Plan-Neofluar 40x/0.6 Ph2 Korr
- EC Plan-Neofluar 40x/0.75 Ph2
- Plan-Apochromat 63x/1.40 Oil
- AxioCam Icc1 color camera for brightfield imaging (pixel size : 4.65x 4.65μm)
- sCMOS ORCA-Flash 4.0 LT Hamamatsu camera for fluorescence imaging (pixel size : 6.45 x 6.45μm)
- XY motorized stage
- CO2 and temperature controller
- ZEN Blue software
Upright histology microscope DM4000B (Leica Microsystems)
- DFC 425C Color camera (pixel size: 2.78×2.78μm)
- Objectives:
- HCX PL Fluotar 5X/0.15
- HCX PL Fluotar 10X/0.3 Ph1
- HC PL Fluotar 20X/0.55 Ph2
- HCX PL Fluotar 40X/0.75 Ph2
- HCX PL Fluotar 100X/1.3 Ph3
- LAS software
Getting Started / Access
Tell us about your project!
Teams wishing to use the equipment or perform a service must first contact the PICMI staff by sending a message to ircan.picmi@univ-cotedazur.fr , contact a member of staff directly, or come and talk to us in PEMED. Users should specify their request by explaining their biological question to help us decide together on the most suitable microscopy approach.
After your training request has been assigned, we will confirm that you have a sample ready, and agree on the microscope, date, and time.
The microscope training will comprise a theory section, to ensure you understand how the microscope works, and a practical session, to ensure you know how to use it. The theory section may be for a group of people at once, but the practical session will always be 1:1 (PICMI staff :user).
After training, validation by PICMI staff and agreement by the user of PICMI rules, users will have access to online booking of the systems. The reservation procedures will be specified during the initial training.
In case of need, we help researchers with microscopy and image analysis projects.
Publications
- Tissot FS, Estrach S, Seguin L, Cailleteau L, Levy A, Aberdam D, Féral CC. Functional transfer of integrin co-receptor CD98hc by small extracellular vesicles improves wound healing in vivo. Matrix Biol. 2025 Feb;135:99-105. doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2024.12.006. Epub 2024 Dec 12. PMID: 39674554.
- Iltis C, Moskalevska I, Debiesse A, Seguin L, Fissoun C, Cervera L, Moudombi L, Ardin M, Ferrari A, Eliott C, Pisani D, Ottaviani A, Bourinet M, Luci C, Gual P, Makulyte G, Bernard D, Durandy M, Duret LC, Hamidouche T, Kunz S, Croce O, Delannoy C, Guérardel Y, Allain F, Hofman P, Benarroch-Popivker D, Bianchini L, Dadone-Montaudie B, Cosson E, Guglielmi J, Pourcher T, Braud VM, Shkreli M, Pers YM, Jorgensen C, Brondello JM, Féral CC, Michallet MC, Gilson E, Cherfils-Vicini J. A ganglioside-based immune checkpoint enables senescent cells to evade immunosurveillance during aging. Nat Aging. 2025 Feb;5(2):219-236. doi: 10.1038/s43587-024-00776-z. Epub 2024 Dec 27. PMID: 39730825; PMCID: PMC11839482.
- Ropert B, Bannwarth S, Genin EC, Vaillant-Beuchot L, Lacas-Gervais S, Hounoum BM, Bernardin A, Dinh N, Mauri-Crouzet A, D’Elia MA, Augé G, Lespinasse F, Di Giorgio A, Meira W, Bonnefoy N, Monassier L, Schiff M, Sago L, Kilinc D, Brau F, Redeker V, Bohl D, Tribouillard-Tanvier D, Procaccio V, Azoulay S, Ricci JE, Delahodde A, Paquis-Flucklinger V. Nifuroxazide rescues the deleterious effects due to CHCHD10-associated MICOS defects in disease models. Brain. 2024 Oct 30:awae348. doi: 10.1093/brain/awae348. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39478664.
- Janho Dit Hreich S, Juhel T, Leroy S, Ghinet A, Brau F, Hofman V, Hofman P, Vouret-Craviari V. Activation of the P2RX7/IL-18 pathway in immune cells attenuates lung fibrosis. Elife. 2024 Feb 1;12:RP88138. doi: 10.7554/eLife.88138. PMID: 38300690; PMCID: PMC10945561.
- Mousset A, Lecorgne E, Bourget I, Lopez P, Jenovai K, Cherfils-Vicini J, Dominici C, Rios G, Girard-Riboulleau C, Liu B, Spector DL, Ehmsen S, Renault S, Hego C, Mechta-Grigoriou F, Bidard FC, Terp MG, Egeblad M, Gaggioli C, Albrengues J. Neutrophil extracellular traps formed during chemotherapy confer treatment resistance via TGF-β activation. Cancer Cell. 2023 Apr 10;41(4):757-775.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.03.008. PMID: 37037615; PMCID: PMC10228050.
- Pouchin P, Zoghlami R, Valarcher R, Delannoy M, Carvalho M, Belle C, Mongy M, Desset S, Brau F. Easing batch image processing from OMERO: a new toolbox for ImageJ. F1000Res. 2022 Apr 5;11:392. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.110385.2. PMID: 35685190; PMCID: PMC9171289.