The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad has established the country's first facility for Advanced Microscopy and Image Analysis. The new facility will help in the examination of normal and disease cells at very high resolution and to monitor molecular interactions in living cells.

The new facility consists of Atomic Force, Apotome, Laser Scanning Confocal, Upright and Inverted Fluorescence Microscopes, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscope, Live Cell, High-Speed and 3-D Stereo-Imaging Systems.

This facility, in addition to research, would help in collecting, collating and disseminating information regarding advances in microscopy and imaging systems and provide a forum that will enable CCMB to serve as a beta-testing centre in India for new microscopes and imaging systems.

Towards this end, recently, Dr Lalji Singh, director, CCMB had organized a meeting with Carl Zeiss, a German-based company and world leader in microscopy and imaging systems. Dr. Ulrich Simon, executive-vice president and general manager, Microscopy Business Group and Dr. Bernd Faltermeier, senior vice president and general manager, Light Microscopy Division of Carl Zeiss participated in this meeting and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CCMB for conducting regular workshops on "Advanced Microscopy and Image Analyses".

This initiative is to acquire expertise in newer technologies in microscopy, digital imaging and image analyses and to share the same with rest of the Indian scientific community. This would enhance the quality and standards of the microscopy work in India.

Kapil Sibal, union minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Ocean Development and vice-president, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) inaugurated this facility during his recent visit to Hyderabad in the presence of Dr Norbert Gorny, member of the Board of Management, Carl Zeiss and Dr Lalji Singh, director, CCMB.