Preclinical imaging

PET/MRI 9.4T Bruker BioSpec with CryoProbe

High-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system operating at 9.4 tesla, enabling the acquisition of both anatomical and functional images with exceptional resolution. The system supports in vivo MR spectroscopy, angiography, and cardiovascular, perfusion, and diffusion studies.

Its modular design, featuring gradient systems and RF coils of various sizes, makes it highly optimized for a wide range of preclinical MRI applications.

The system includes a CryoProbe, providing a sensitivity gain of 2.5 to 5.3 times compared with standard room-temperature RF coils. This enhanced sensitivity delivers key anatomical and functional information for in vivo preclinical studies.

It also includes a PET insert, as described in the section on Hybrid MRI/PET Imaging, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of metabolic and structural data.

This high-field MRI system has been acquired by BioImaC with funding from the European Union through the NextGenerationEU program.

MRI 3T Philips Achieva TX (MultiTransmit)

The Philips Achieva 3 tesla TX (MultiTransmit) MRI system, Release 5, features a 60 cm bore diameter designed for advanced MRI acquisitions with the capability to customize and program specialized pulse sequences.
It is equipped with multiple interchangeable coils, enabling imaging of small and large animals, while providing high spatial and temporal resolution.
This high-performance system is used for preclinical, translational, and advanced clinical research, offering exceptional image quality and experimental flexibility.

MRI 11.7T Bruker BioSpec

The 11.7 tesla Bruker BioSpec MRI system is equipped with a high-performance 9 cm gradient delivering up to 750 mT/m, enabling ultra-high spatial and temporal resolution in preclinical imaging studies.

It features four broadband transmit channels and parallel reception with up to eight channels, enhancing sensitivity and reducing acquisition time.
The system supports a wide range of radiofrequency coils suited for various animal models and applications, and enables multinuclear detection of ¹³C, ¹⁹F, and ³¹P, making it ideal for advanced metabolic, molecular, and functional imaging.

This instrument is primarily used for biomedical and molecular research, providing high-precision imaging of physiological, cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic processes.

MRI 1T Bruker ICON

Low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system operating at 1 tesla, designed for the acquisition of in vivo and ex vivo MRI images with high quality and reproducibility.

This compact and high-performance MRI platform enables researchers without prior imaging experience to easily access the capabilities of MRI and obtain quantitative imaging results addressing biological questions in vivo.

MRI is a widely used clinical imaging technique, and the results obtained with the ICON in animal models (rat and mouse) are scalable and translatable to humans, since many clinical MRI applications, sequences, and approaches can be reproduced on this system.

The ICON operates at a magnetic field strength of 1 tesla, which is particularly suitable for imaging with gadolinium-based contrast agents, due to the relaxivity profiles of these compounds.

PET/SPECT/CT Multimodal system Molecubes

Trimodal imaging system, PET, SPECT and CT – MOLECUBES γ, β and X-CUBES
These devices work separately thus allowing to obtain multimodal images simultaneously. It is composed of three independent modules:
•    γ-CUBE. SPECT equipment of high resolution and sensitivity that allows the obtaining of static images of full body of rats and mice.
•    β-CUBE. High-resolution, sensitivity PET equipment with a wide axial field of view of 13 cm in a bedding position, with which full-body dynamic acquisitions can be made.
•    X-CUBE. High-performance CT equipment that allows to obtain high-resolution anatomical images (50 μ m) of rats and mice in a short time.
Specific features of the system include: images of full-body mice and rats (PET, SPECT and CT); dynamic (PET) and static (PET and SPECT) studies; possibility of acquiring PET images synchronized with the heart rhythm of the cardiac animal gated imaging; possibility of acquiring CT images synchronized with the breathing of the animal respiratory gated imaging; possibility of acquiring PET images of up to four mice simultaneously; image reconstruction using the iterative 3DOSEM algorithm and scatter correction and CT image-based energy attenuation.

ALBA-FLIM microscope

Custom-made system dedicated to fast acquisition of fluorescence lifetime images and phasor-FLIM analysis in live samples. The system is equipped with an inverted stand, a tuneable multiphoton laser, two PMTs and two APDs detectors, and a ISS Inc. fast‐FLIM card.

Scanning Confocal microscope (Zeiss LSM 510)

High sensitivity with reduced background multicolor (up to 8 colors) imaging can be obtained at 3D reconstruction. Fitted with a module for FCS and FLIM for single molecule dynamics and interaction studies. Also FRAP and FRET analysis modules are available to study diffusion process and interactions at molecular level.

Leica Single Molecule Localization by Ground-State Depletion (dSTORM)

Flexible system based on standard immunostaining techniques that combine TIRF and epifluorescence with single molecule imaging (maximun resolution of 20 nm). Able to single molecules localisation in the x,y plane and in fixed cell samples.

FMT Perkin Elmer

Quantifies a large number of biomarkers, mechanistic pathways and levels of translational therapeutic response. Operates in two "near infrared" channels and is compatible with standard anesthesia.

3D IVIS Perkin Elmer 200

High sensitivity and low noise level that allows visualization and monitoring of cellular and genetic activity in small animals (mainly mice) in vivo and in real time. Enables gene, cell or tissue labelling.