With PICsL, the Marseille node aims at fostering new technolologies and photonic innovation for cell imaging.

The Marseille FBI node, through PICsL (Plateforme d'Imagerie Commune du site de Luminy), is dedicated to promoting multi-modal imaging using both light and electron microscopy for life sciences. This node brings together four major life sciences institutes (CIML, IBDM, InMED, IMM), offering access to shared facilities.

Supported by strong scientific collaborations and dynamic industrial partnerships, the Marseille node provides a range of advanced imaging systems, including multiphoton, confocal, light sheet, super-resolution microscopy, as well as cryo and volume electron microscopy. PICsL’s team of experts specializes in developing cutting-edge techniques for light and electron microscopy, benefiting researchers in cell and developmental biology, immunology, neurobiology, and microbiology.

With PICsL, the Marseille node aims at fostering new technolologies an photonic innovation for cell imaging.

The Marseille FBI node, through PICsL (Plateforme d'Imagerie Commune du site de Luminy), is dedicated to promoting multi-modal imaging using both light and electron microscopy for life sciences. This node brings together four major life sciences institutes (CIML, IBDM, InMED, IMM), offering access to shared facilities.

Supported by strong scientific collaborations and dynamic industrial partnerships, the Marseille node provides a range of advanced imaging systems, including multiphoton, confocal, light sheet, super-resolution microscopy, as well as cryo and volume electron microscopy. PICsL’s team of experts specializes in developing cutting-edge techniques for light and electron microscopy, benefiting researchers in cell and developmental biology, immunology, neurobiology, and microbiology.

PICsL’s partner institutes

13

staff

+435

Users

+50

SETUPS

32406

hours per year

+10

training courses per year

13

staff

+435

Users

+50

SETUPS

32406

hours per year

+10

training courses per year

PICsL key expertises and services

Non linear imaging PICsL - Marseille In Vivo

Non linear Imaging

In vivo imaging is based on the use of dedicated pulsed lasers that induce non-linear effects, enabling images and films to be acquired at depth (up to 1 mm) without damaging the tissue and with little background noise.

Smart Microscopy image PICsL Marseille

SMART Microscopy

New-generation instruments can be used to create custom imaging acquisition sequences with a pipeline of functions including deep-learning methods that can adapt acquisition to past or future events.

Spectral imaging PICsL Marseille

Spectral Imaging

In order to quantify a large number of cell populations in tissues with 3D confocal resolution, we are developing spectral acquisition strategies enabling us to visualize 12 to 14 markers simultaneously.

Image CryoEM expertise PICsL

Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM) is the technique that captures high-resolution images of frozen molecules, preserving their natural structure. It’s crucial for studying proteins, viruses, and molecular interactions.

Image d'illustration volume EM - PICsl

Electron microscopy usually captures life in 2D, while every biological structure is built and evolves in a 3D environment. Volume EM is a family of techniques which enables you to understand how the organelles interact and how they build together a full cell.

Non linear imaging PICsL - Marseille In Vivo

Non linear Imaging

In vivo imaging is based on the use of dedicated pulsed lasers that induce non-linear effects, enabling images and films to be acquired at depth (up to 1 mm) without damaging the tissue and with little background noise

Smart Microscopy image PICsL Marseille

SMART Microscopy

New-generation instruments can be used to create custom imaging acquisition sequences with a pipeline of functions including deep-learning methods that can adapt acquisition to past or future events.

Spectral imaging PICsL Marseille

Spectral Imaging

In order to quantify a large number of cell populations in tissues with 3D confocal resolution, we are developing spectral acquisition strategies enabling us to visualize 12 to 14 markers simultaneously.

Image CryoEM expertise PICsL

Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM) is the technique that captures high-resolution images of frozen molecules, preserving their natural structure. It’s crucial for studying proteins, viruses, and molecular interactions.

Image d'illustration volume EM - PICsl

Electron microscopy usually captures life in 2D, while every biological structure is built and evolves in a 3D environment. Volume EM is a family of techniques which enables you to understand how the organelles interact and how they build together a full cell.

Image gallery

DCs in all states gallery image PICsL

DCs in all states
Dendritic cell activation (MHC II molecules in green, Lysosomes in red, nuclei in grey). Copyright, Alexis Combes, Philippe Pierre, CIML

Hippo Interneurones image gallery PICsL

Transgenic mousse hippocampal and cortical image from cleared tissue. Green cells are parvalbumin expressing inter-neurons(A. Baude;INMED)

Intestinal octopus image gallery - PICsL

Intestinal octopus
Small intestine section from a LyzM-eGFP mouse containing one Peyer’s patch and stained for proliferative cells (Ki-67, yellow), Paneth cells (UEA-I, blue), epithelial cells (EpCAM, magenta), naïve B cells (IgD, red), T cells (CD3, orange), helper T cells/macrophages (CD4, cyan), phagocytes (CD11c, turquoise), monocyte-derived phagocytes (GFP, green).

Magnetotactique CLSM gallery image PICsL

Magnetotactique - CLSM.jpg : Confocal microscopy image of a multicellular magnetotactic bacterium. Membranes are stained red with FM4-64, and DNA is stained blue with DAPI.

RGB Camille Boutin image gallery PICsL

Basal bodies ciliated cells: Camille Boutin
STED image of basal bodies of multiciliated mouse ependymal cells revealing asymmetric positioning of the basal foot (Gamma-tubulin, red) relative to the centriole (FOP, green).

Neurones and inter neurone hippocampe image gallery PICsL

Mousse hippocampal section with two immunolabelled interneuron family in orange and yellow (A. Baude ; INMED)

Mouse Embryo LightSheet image gallery PICsL

Week mouse embryo
The embryonic formation of lymph nodes is now understood. Using light sheet microscopy, scientists tracked lymphoid cells (blue) migrating from the liver to form lymph nodes. This 3D imaging reveals interactions with nerve cells (green), blood vessels (white), and macrophages (red).

Neurone and 3D image gallery PICsL

Mousse cortical neuron labelled through a patch-clamp pipette with a fluorescent dye. 3D reconstruction for morphological analysis. (F Michel ; INMED)

hippo-ca-activity-picsl

Spontaneous activity of cortical neurons in brain mice slices at P6 illustrated by calcium imaging (R. Cossart team).

Pfluorescens NegStain gallery image PICsL

Pfluorescens - NegStain : Negative staining transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Myco SEM gallery image PICsL

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) image depicting a mixture of bacteria, including mycobacteria, staphylococci, and pseudomonas.

Mxanthus 3DSIM gallery image PICsL

Myxococcus xanthus : 3D-SIM image of Myxococcus xanthus. Membranes are labeled in red (FM4-64), DNA in blue (DAPI), and a motility-associated protein fused to GFP is shown in green.

PICsL’s next events

List

Month

October 2025

October 14 - 8:00 AM - October 17 - 5:00 PM

Transmission electron microscopy for cell biology

Being aware of the climate crisis, the PICsL facility takes action in reducing its global impact by following the labos 1point5 guidelines.

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PICsL is certified