German optoelectronics manufacturer Carl Zeiss AG (ZEISS) and Kyoto University in Japan have signed a new strategic research agreement and announced the opening of the ZEISS iCeMS Innovation Core, a collaborative laboratory at Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS).

Per the agreement, Kyoto University will gain access to the latest ZEISS microscopy technologies. In return, ZEISS will receive deeper insights into the research conducted at Kyoto, including any investigations into the application of microscopy technology.

“We are enthusiastically looking forward to this solidification of our cooperative efforts with Kyoto University and its renowned scientists,” said Michael Albiez, who heads ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions. “The new level of interaction will provide us with even better insights into the microscopy needs of this world-class institution and deliver crucial input to our developments. We are convinced that both parties will greatly benefit from this new setup.”

“Further evolution of 4D imaging technologies is essential to answering difficult questions in cell biology,” said Mineko Kengaku, a professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences at Kyoto University as well as iCeMS’s deputy director. Kengaku said the two institutions are both excited to assemble a “powerful team of iCeMS cell biologists and ZEISS microscopists” to expand both parties’ capabilities for advancing bioimaging technologies.

“The ZEISS iCeMS Innovation Core will also act as a shared facility and provide support for researchers needing to acquire imaging data using the leading microscopy technology,” Kengaku said.