IEMSB - Imaging Empowered Multiscale Biophysics (2026-2029)

Ignacio Arganda-Carreras, Fadi Dornaika, Nagore Barrena, Unai Elordi, Aitor González-Marfil

Jan 1, 2026

The Imaging Empowered Multiscale Biophysics (IEMSB) initiative has been officially funded under the Ayudas para apoyar las actividades de grupos de investigación del sistema universitario vasco (2026-2029) programme. The final resolution was communicated on 24 August 2026.

Led by Dr. Virginia Martinez-Martinez and Dr. Ignacio Arganda-Carreras, IEMSB unites researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Instituto Biofisika. The initiative connects molecular, cellular and tissue scales through advanced imaging, computation and quantitative biophysics.

IEMSB bridges cellular structure, tissue biophysics, AI-based imaging and chemistry through Basque imaging platforms — **Fig. 1:** IEMSB: Bridging scales through Imaging, Al, Chemistry and Biophysics. An initiative to foster scientific excellence, interdisciplinary training, and international impact.

🔬 Scientific Goals

IEMSB is organised around four complementary research lines:

Structural Biology and Cellular Architecture: resolving macromolecular structures and dynamics in native cellular environments using cryo-EM, cryo-ET and correlative fluorescence microscopy.
Tissue Biophysics: understanding how cell-ECM interactions, forces and adhesion dynamics shape neural and epithelial tissues during development, repair and ageing.
AI-Based Tools for Imaging: developing interpretable, scalable and data-efficient methods for denoising, segmentation, classification, particle picking and subtomogram analysis.
Chemistry-Driven Tools for Imaging: designing fluorophores, fluorogenic probes and biosensors for quantitative and super-resolution imaging of molecular events in living systems.

The programme works in close coordination with the Basque imaging platforms BRALM (advanced light microscopy), BREM (electron microscopy) and BRAIIAN (AI and image analysis). Together, these platforms provide an integrated framework for imaging-driven multiscale biophysics.

🌐 Basque Imaging Platforms

BRALM: advanced light and super-resolution microscopy.
BREM: cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography and correlative imaging.
BRAIIAN: artificial intelligence, computer vision and image analysis.

👥 Project Team

Principal Investigators

Dr. Virginia Martinez-Martinez (Permanent Doctor Researcher, UPV/EHU)
Dr. Ignacio Arganda-Carreras (Ikerbasque Research Associate Professor, UPV/EHU; DIPC; Biofisika Institute)

CVPD Team

Dr. Fadi Dornaika (Ikerbasque Research Professor, UPV/EHU)
Dr. Nagore Barrena (Assistant Professor, UPV/EHU)
Dr. Unai Elordi (Assistant Professor, UPV/EHU)
Aitor González-Marfil (PhD student, UPV/EHU; DIPC)

The wider IEMSB group comprises 22 members, including 21 doctors and one predoctoral researcher, with expertise spanning physical chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, computer science and artificial intelligence.