The CBS biophysics platform offers access to state-of-the art imaging technologies for quantifying protein interactions in live cells, or in vitro. In particular we specialize in fluorescence fluctuation and single molecules approaches for quantitative spatial and temporal quantification of protein structure, interactions and dynamics. These capacities are made available to scientific groups in the Montpellier area and elsewhere in France, Europe and the rest of the world, via a direct collaboration with the CBS research teams, via European Bio-Imaging (see below), or via the MARS research facility.

Indeed, the MARS research facility is a collaboration between the CBS and MRI and aims at offering to the scientific community a wide access to a selection of advanced microscopy technologies, generally not available commercially in the present form (namely super-resolution and fluctuation microscopies, see below). It offers access, training, and support to custom-made optical setups. For some selected projects, our research staff can also develop new approaches meeting your needs, on a collaborative basis.

All the resources described below, together with MRI's high-throughput cloning and microscopy facility, have been selected as a “proof of concept” site of the large-scale pan-European research infrastructure project “Eurobioimaging” (EBI).

MARS Scientific Committee: Catherine Royer, Edouard Bertrand, Emmanuel Margeat, Marcelo Nollmann, Pierre-Emmanuel Milhiet

FBI node coordinators: Catherine Royer, Edouard Bertrand

CBS Participating Scientists: Emmanuel Margeat, Marcelo Nollmann,Pierre-Emmanuel Milhiet User Coordinator: Caroline Clerté (Caroline.clerte at cbs.cnrs.fr) Support and Research Staff : Jean Bernard Fiche, Nicole Lautredou, Patrice Dosset

Microscopy Methods available

• Fluctuation methods (Two photon two color laser scanning microscope), for FCS and FCCS, scanning FCS, scanning N&B, RICS) Part of the MARS Research Platform
  Cathy Royer

• Super-resolution microscopy (PALM/STORM) Part of the MARS Research Platform
  Marcelo Nollmann
• Total Internal Reflexion microscope for two color single particle tracking and spFRET
  Emmanuel Margeat
• Confocal microscope for ALEX-based single molecule FRET
  Emmanuel Margeat
• Confocal microscope with pulsed interleaved excitation and TCPSC detection for FCCS, FLCS, FLIM, time-resolved polarisation and MFD
  Emmanuel Margeat
• Atomic Force Microscopy
  Pierre-Emmanuel Milhiet

These various methods allow for:

• the determination of cellular structures at super-resolution (PALM/STORM, AFM)
• the study of dynamics of biomolecules (SPT, FCS, SPT-PALM)
• the quantification and spatial localisation of biomolecular interactions (N&B, FCCS, FLIM, PALM/STORM)
• the determination of structures and conformational dynamics at angstrom-resolution (smFRET, AFM).

How to apply

MARS research platform - APPLY NOW !! -

Applicants are invited to fill an application form, that will be reviewed by the MARS scientific committee. After discussion with the applicants, the committee will decide whether the research project can be conducted directly on the MARS platform, whether it implies a close collaboration with the CBS for technical developments, or whether it is out of the scope of the MARS research platform.
For more information, please contact our user coordinator Caroline Clerté (Caroline.clerte at cbs.cnrs.fr).
For microscope reservation, click here
Any reservation on the Mars resources needs to be approved by Caroline Clerte

Via Eurobioimaging

From January to July 2012, Euro-BioImaging conducts a series of proof-of-concept studies and therefore offers free access to European advanced biological and biomedical imaging facilities. Proposals will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers composed by experts of the Euro-BioImaging consortium covering the different imaging technologies and the responsible heads of the participating imaging facilities. Please apply directly on the Eurobiomaging website. Our platform is Facility n°38

Direct collaboration with the CBS teams

Please contact directly Caroline Clerté (Caroline.clerte at cbs.cnrs.fr), our user coordinator.

How to reach us

To get to CBS/MARS, go here.