Are you a #CuriousMind?  Embark on a journey of curiosity and exploration with ONI! Discover more about our innovations and pioneering advancements by visiting oni.bio/curiousminds  ..read more

Neuroscience 2023 delved into a diverse range of main themes, offering a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in the field. The conference covered topics such as Development, Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia, as well as Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injuries. Participants also engaged in discussions surrounding Sensory Systems, Motor Systems, Integrative Physiology and Behavior, Motivation and Emotion, and Cognition. Additionally, the conference highlighted the latest techniques in neuroscience research. Beyond scientific research the event acknowledged the significan ..read more

ONI hosted the final Super-Resolution Summit of 2023 at Le Méridien Frankfurt on November 9, 2023. Distinguished speakers from diverse institutions shared their insights, making the event a beacon for the scientific community. Each speaker provided a unique lens into the expanding realm of microscopic exploration. The summit not only fostered collaboration but also highlighted the incredible potential of emerging technologies and advanced fluorescence methods. The Frankfurt Super-Resolution Summit left an indelible mark on the scientific community, radiating an atmosphere of excitement and in ..read more

Characterizing Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) using conventional light microscopy can be quite challenging largely due to their small size, from 30 - 1000 nm in diameter. The challenge that we set when applying for the Nanoimager EV competition, was to characterize EVs captured inside a microfluidic device using dSTORM imaging. In our lab we developed a microfluidics device, theHerringbone (HB)-chip, which can selectively isolate vesicles from a complex sample, using immunocapture of EV markers onto the chip’s surface. The EVHB-chip has complex physical properties that can be challenging when i ..read more

Belief #1: dSTORM is too difficult for non-microscopists  While dSTORM is an advanced imaging technique, getting started has been made easier with an increasing number of protocols for sample preparation1, extensive fluorophore testing2 for effective on-off photoswitching, and new more intuitive and user-friendly imaging and analysis software. Importantly, commercial dSTORM setups are available that eliminate the need for microscope building expertise and can be implemented in any kind of research lab or facility ..read more

Understand what super-resolution microscopy can do for your research  When embarking on any new project, being prepared can make a big difference to the success of your experiment. This doesn’t mean that you need a masters in super-resolution microscopy, but just enough knowledge to understand the main concepts and techniques, their pitfalls and benefits, for you to make an informed decision on the best super-resolution imaging technique to use for your research.  ..read more

Today marks my 6-month anniversary with ONI. It has flown by and has been amazing. I am loving the experience and thankful for the opportunity. I have been able to meet many of our customers and the entire ONI team. I left a job and company I genuinely loved to join ONI for several reasons but among them were the team, the technology, and the promise of what super-resolution microscopy can become for drug discovery and research. There are very few ways to see individual biological molecules in their natural context and even less ways to observe them dynamically. Those capabilities are import ..read more

Scientists and researchers with an interest in microscopy and, especially, super-resolution imaging, came together in London for a second successful Super-Resolution Summit of the year - after the inaugural Summit which took place in June, in San Diego. During this occasion, the event gathered around 150 attendees, who had different levels of experience in super-resolution microscopy, and from a wide range of organizations, from both the public and private sectors. Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of knowledge exchange, networking, and thought-provoking discussions, the "Curious Minds" campaign ..read more

Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM) techniques such as Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (dSTORM) and DNA-based point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (DNA-PAINT) are powerful tools to investigate structures at the 20 nm resolution scale. This resolution gain compared to diffraction-limited techniques (resolution approximately 250 nm) comes at the expense of a high sensitivity for background fluorescence and, sometimes, imaging artifacts. Designing the right controls oftentimes aids in the optimization of sample preparation protocols for SMLM.1 &nb ..read more

Like every year, ONI launched their annual EV competition at the ISEV conference. Since we were already familiar with their technology (from our collaboration with the Gene Machines group led by Prof. Achilles Kapanidis at the University of Oxford), we wanted to try first hand whether this was something that our lab could benefit from. That is why we decided to submit a research proposal to complement our bulk EV measurements for validating different cancer-specific biomarkers ..read more