Photo: Sylvie at the Nikon Center of Excellence

The Nikon Center of Excellence is located at Karolinska Institutet in Huddinge outside Stockholm. The focus is to explore and evaluate Nikon’s microscopes, confocal microscopes and the software NIS-Elements. BergmanLabora is Nikon Instruments’ Swedish representative and they provide equipment and support.

What is a Nikon Center of Excellence?

The Nikon Center of Excellence (NCE) is a partnership and collaboration between Nikon, suppliers of high-end microscopy equipment and specific research centers where the focus is on knowledge exchange and equipment evaluation. The research unit commits to making an overall investment in a number of advanced microscopy systems with image analysis software at their facility. They will thus have access to the latest technology and Nikon’s technical knowledge, which is an advantage for many researchers. Nikon has the opportunity to present its products, receive valuable feedback and input from the researchers on new emerging applications in specific research areas. This allows Nikon to develop its products to offer the perfect image management solution. The benefits for the researcher and Nikon therefore go hand in hand.

What else does the Nikon Center of Excellence offer?

In addition to providing access to state-of-the-art Nikon microscopes and image processing equipment, the NCE supports its scientific communities by offering courses on basic and advanced light microscopy techniques and introducing the latest innovations in light microscopy and image processing. The centers serve as a training ground for Nikon staff, further enhancing both technical and product knowledge, so that our customers receive the best possible customer service. Nikon can also provide demonstration space for customers with a need and interest in advanced optical technologies.

How does each Nikon Center of Excellence differ?

Each NCE has a specialty that will help develop a particular area of microscopy. The NCE at the IEM in Budapest, for example, is a key research center for neuroscience. The NCE at ICFO in Barcelona, specializes in STORM super-resolution microscopy, while those at the NCE University are working on new and different types of super-resolution microscopy. In Stockholm, an NCE has been opened focusing on high content screening research, incorporating Nikon’s new JOBS program module. In Italy, an NCE at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, focusing on the application of microscopy, is working on the understanding of molecular activities underlying oncology and neurodegenerative diseases, and further NCEs will be opened in the coming years.

Nikon Center of Excellence in Stockholm Area of expertise – High content screening

Professor Staffan Strömblad has been Professor of Clinical Molecular Biology at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition since 2009. Clinical molecular biology is the study of clinical processes at the molecular level. Professor Strömblad’s research is mainly focused on cancer and the interface between cancer cells and surrounding tissue. This includes the study of cell migration, i.e. how they move, which is a central process in the spread of cancer and the development of secondary tumors. Professor Strömblad has developed a new method for this purpose, systems microscopy, which makes it possible to create mathematical models of dynamic cell processes, right down to the molecular level.

Signal transduction refers to the movement of signals from outside the cell to inside the cell as well as the movement of signals within a cell. Signal transduction can be initiated by the binding of ligands to membrane-bound receptors or the entry of small molecules through the cell membrane. In the cellular environment, signals are often propagated by phosphorylation events including kinases and phosphatases. Small molecules can also enter the nucleus directly, affecting the activity of nuclear receptors which constitute a distinct class of transcription factors. The final result of signal transduction is a change in cell activity and changes in the gene program expressed in the responding cells.