Under the subsidy of the MOST, Bioimaging Core Facility integrated eight high-level optical imaging systems belonged to the National Cheng Kung University Medical College and National Cheng Kung University Hospital. The high-level optical imaging systems cover the range of biomedical imaging research from molecular to individual. And based on special function of each imaging systems, there are five subprojects been organized: "Applied high-resolution and high-content imaging technology to biomedical research and drug development", "Cellular and tissue animal-level molecular imaging", "Application of imaging technology in translational medicine", "Fast dynamic analysis of fluorescent molecules", "Nano-grade imaging of cellular Super-resolution", and held by five principal investigators. Dedicated to integrating resources, manpower, technology and knowledge in Bioimaging Core Facility, and provide users with advantages of the best using environment, professional consultation and outsourcing operation (JDM) and centralized administrative and financial support, as well as provide service level from molecular to individual range level. That brings the function and value of the instruments to maximization, and provide high-quality biomedical optical imaging instruments and services for biomedical researchers in Taiwan.

Because of the sophisticated high-level bioimaging instrument is a necessary implement for the pursuit of excellence in biomedical research. Which provides researchers to carry out qualitative and quantitative investigation of cells and molecularly-targeted in real, non-destructive, and complete in vivo. Furthermore, the image shows the physiological and pathological phenomena of cells or molecules directly, and convert the complex processes such as gene expression and biosignal transmission into images. Also, with the help of specific molecular probes, it is possible to achieve the goal of early diagnosis by discover disease symptoms under the molecular level. Therefore, it is necessary to possess a variety of biomedical optical imaging instruments with a variety of specific and special features for pursuing excellent biomedical research. But not every academic institution or industry has a complete high-level optical imaging system at present. By delivering outsourcing operation (JDM) and professional technical assistance, Bioimaging Core Facility provides high-quality technology and high-level biological imaging to researchers from clinical medical field, medical materials field, biotechnology industry field, etc. Successfully formed a cooperative relationship with industry, academic circle and research circle, and accelerate the development process and efficiency.

Currently, Bioimaging Core Facility has delivered services to units located in North, Central and South Taiwan, including universities, research institutes and science parks in Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung. There is more than 38 academic, research and medical units are under service. And providing cutting-edge optical technology to promote the development for more than 13 biotechnology companies in the industry. Among them, the development of emerging biotechnology technique includes fluorescence-based high-throughput screening system platform, super-resolution optical imaging platform, light regulatable gene expression platform, tissue FAXs system to quantify tissue immune fluorescence staining platform, etc. Provide neuroprotection medicine and antihistamine filter platform as core laboratories for early clinical trials and clinical drug development; molecular observation of cell endocytosis, high-resolution cytoskeletal protein distribution; correlation of light-operated intracellular calcium ion fluctuations cell cycle function and gene expression; differentiation and analysis after neural stem cell transplantation, development of ischemic stroke neuroprotective reagent, as the core laboratory to assist clinical trials and clinical molecular diagnosis..., applying the cutting-edge technology of Bioimaging Core Facilities to clinical diagnosis, clinical applications such as treatment and personalized medicine.

In the future, the establishment of a science service company is also the goal that Bioimaging Core Facility makes efforts to. In 2017 and 2018, under the support of MOST for NT$30 million grant at the "Biomedical Imaging Core Platform Project", this Bioimaging Core Facility has established complete fluorescence-based high-throughput screening system and tissue FAXs system. Which has provided services for rapid drug screening and tissue cell quantitative analysis to those main users, include National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and numerous biotechnology companies. With the novel drug development and testing of fluorescence-based high-throughput screening system has fast and heavy duty characteristics, as well as the digital pathological characteristics of the image and artificial intelligence integration of tissue FAXs system, Bioimaging Core Facility provide complete one-stop services including sample preparation consultation, outsourcing operation (JDM), image analysis and acquisition, and integrate professional optical imaging knowledge and technical support to establish a "science service company" to expand service energy. Hoping that through those advantages mentioned above, the company can provide the needs of biomedical imaging research in universities, research institutions and industry, and also provide cutting-edge research services for scientific and biomedical research institutions throughout Taiwan.

Media Contact

Kuen-Jer Tsai

Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung Unversity, Tainan, Taiwan

Tel: +886-6-2353535 #4254

Email: kjtsai@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Jung-Tsun Chien

Postdoc

Department of Life Sciences, MOST

+886-2737-7990

jtchien@most.gov.tw