A new preclinical imaging system now available at the UNamur Technology Platform of Life Sciences (PTSV)

The Technology Platform of Life Sciences (PTSV) is dedicated to housing and breeding of small animals (mice and rats) for experimental research. The facility spans a total area of 1180 m2, comprising conventional and specific pathogen-free (SPF) zones. It provides services for the accommodation, production, and care of small animals in accordance with animal welfare standards and offers technical support to researchers.

Recently, the PTSV acquired a PhotonIMAGER OPTIMA (BiospaceLab), an in vivo real-time imaging system that enables the acquisition of bioluminescence and fluorescence signals in small animals within the visible spectrum, ranging from violet to near infrared. The system combines high sensitivity, very wide quantification dynamic range and high speed, allowing for the simultaneous imaging of up to 5 animals per acquisition.

The PhotonIMAGER OPTIMA can be applied to various research fields such as oncology, neurosciences, stem cell biology, virology, and pharmacology. It enables high throughput monitoring, such as disease progression or infection course within the same group of animals. Moreover, the system facilitates the analysis of several subgroups of animals in the context of a single experiment, accelerating studies and reducing the number of animals required to generate statistically significant data.

The PTSV team is available to discuss your future research projects and to assist NARILIS researchers with the use of this cutting-edge imaging system.