History:

During the last two decades, light microscopy has been at the center of a revolution. The coming of age of digital image acquisition, digital imaging processing, the increasing availability of conventional gas and solid-state lasers and the extensive use of ever more powerful and cheaper computers entirely transformed the field of light microscopy. At the core of light microscopy developments has been the emergence of ever more sophisticated confocal laser scanning microscopes, and more recently, the commercial availability of tandem scanning as well as two-photon confocal microscopes.

Advances in electronic-light microscopy have not only contributed to improve the limit of resolution of the light microscope, micrograph acquisition and overall image quality but have had an impact on the emergence of new dyes and thus the commercialization of a wider range of fluorescent probes. As a result of technological developments in fluorescent dyes and optical microscopy, the localization of cellular structures and processes is being revisited more often with more tools than ever before. For example, optical sectioning of specimens together with elimination of out-of-focus information through confocal optics and/or deconvolution software has made feasible the three-dimensional rendering of cellular components from stacks of optical sections.

Plans for starting a small biotechnology company to contribute to the light microscopy revolution evolved for nearly ten years before incorporation. At the core of this new company is electronic-light microscopy, the expertise to develop novel photosensitive antibody probes and specialized imaging software.

BCC Microimaging’s principals have been long standing collaborators and their combined formal training and research experience span the fields of biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, computer engineering, light and electron microscopy, organic chemistry, photochemistry, reproductive biology and software programing.

BCC Microimaging R&D is directed at creating specific tagged probes and imaging software to assist with the localization of cellular processes devoted to maintain the integrity of the genome and preventing the cascade of events leading to cell transformation and the onset of cancer.