Contributing to advances in medical and life sciences through synergies with universities and research institutions

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Nikon Imaging Centers provide researchers with microscope systems and educational programs, and relay their feedback directly to Nikon for utilization in product development.

Nikon Imaging Centers - collaborative imaging facilities

Imaging technology is used to visualize information gathered from an observation sample. For the continued development of this technology, a collaborative process between industry and academia is indispensable. To this end, Nikon has partnered with major universities and research institutes in several countries to open imaging facilities, designated as Nikon Imaging Centers (NICs) at ten locations* worldwide.

• *As of April, 2021.

NICs have the following four functions that support the varied objectives and goals of researchers.

• *Microscope systems include not only the microscopes, but also the related equipment such as lighting systems and cameras.

Nikon actively collects the opinions of researchers through NIC locations and applies them directly to inform product development for science, industry, medicine, and life sciences.

The first NIC was established at Harvard Medical School in 2001 with other facilities subsequently opening elsewhere in the United States, as well as in Asia including Japan, and Europe. NICs support the development of imaging technology for each region. For an overview of each NIC location, refer to Imaging Centers established by Nikon Instruments Inc.

Nikon Imaging Center at Harvard Medical School - supporting researchers by providing an advanced microscope usage environment and educational programs

Advancing online educational programs

Most of the NIC@HMS users are post-doctoral fellows who have finished their Ph.D. and are in the process of training. In addition, NIC assists between 200 and 250 graduate students, technicians and visiting faculty members, as well as 200 academic research scientists each year.

“I think the biggest impact we have on basic research is that many of the people who come to use the microscopes at the center don’t have any other access to microscopes. Or they’re trying to do an experiment using a microscope and it’s not working for some reason that they can’t figure out,” Dr. Waters explains. “So they come to us, and we can help them do an experiment that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to handle or we can help them do it much faster, and probably in a more rigorous way, than they would otherwise, because we advise people on controls and such.” It is in these ways that the NICs contribute to enhance basic research.

Dr. Waters and her team have transformed the educational program that was offered through the NIC for many years into a remote educational program.

Dr. Waters notes, “It’s not something that I would previously have ever thought to do, but it’s been fantastic. So, we’re now imagining that we could use these remote formats to offer education internationally - more than just releasing videos of our lectures, we’re looking for ways to allow for some further discussion and support.”

Synergies generated at NICs

Dr. Waters explains the contribution that the NIC@HMS has made to science, “There have been many discoveries made at the center throughout my tenure at the NIC@HMS. Naturally, not all research goes on to win the Nobel Prize. However, collectively the experiments move the field forward, and even small, incremental advancements are greatly valued.” She provides insight into how important it is to have the vast number of experiments conducted at NIC@HMS play an important part in that progress.

Nikon has provided new equipment and software for Dr. Waters and her team to test and provide feedback on during developmental stages. This valuable feedback was then utilized to improve and develop new products.

OutlookCreating innovative contributions towards everyday well-being through dedication to medical and life science research