Marine Biological Laboratory receives $3.2 million for microscopy infrastructure expansion
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) has received a $3.2 million award to upgrade its Central Microscopy Facility with new state-of-the-art microscopes.
Woods Hole, MA – The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) has secured a $3.2 million Research Infrastructure award from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to enhance its Central Microscopy Facility. This funding will facilitate the acquisition of two advanced microscopes, intended to support research, education, and industry collaboration across Massachusetts and beyond.
The new microscopes, including a ZEISS LSM 990 confocal microscope and a Nikon SoRa spinning-disk confocal microscope, are scheduled for installation at MBL in the fall of 2026. The ZEISS LSM 990 will enable rapid and precise imaging at speeds up to 80 frames per second, allowing for real-time visualization of fast biological processes. The Nikon SoRa offers dual-channel simultaneous imaging and facilitates 4D imaging. The award also includes the purchase of a Bruker High-Performance Imaging and Visualization Environment, significantly boosting the facility's computational power for image analysis and data visualization.
Anne Sylvester, MBL's director of research, described the state's support as transformative for its research and education community. She stated that the investment will ensure access to the latest commercial microscopy technologies for MBL scientists, visiting researchers, and industry collaborators.
Louis Kerr, director of MBL's Central Microscopy Facility, noted that the new instruments, combined with enhanced computing infrastructure, will solidify MBL as a comprehensive destination for biological research. The upgrades are intended to allow researchers to move seamlessly from generating ideas to conducting sophisticated experiments and analyses. The new equipment is expected to be available to researchers beginning in fall 2026.