Creating Biomedical Technologies to Improve Health

En Español | Site Map | Staff Directory | Contact Us

Search form

LABS AT NIBIB

The mission of the NIBIB is to improve human health by providing leadership for development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating engineering and physical sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. The Intramural Research Program plays a key role in fulfilling the Institute’s mission, particularly to advance knowledge in imaging and bioengineering research using a combination of basic, translational, and clinical science and to develop effective training programs in related fields. All of the NIBIB laboratories are located on the NIH campus. Click on the below links to learn more about their research programs and resources.

Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics (LCIMB)

This is an image of a rendered three dimensional model of a malaria infected erythrocyte obtained by scanning transmission electron tomography
The LCIMB develops new approaches for determining the organization, structure and interactions of organelles and macromolecular assemblies both in the context of cells and tissues, as well as in isolation from cells.
  1. Cellular and Supramolecular Structure and Function
  2. Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section
  3. Nanoinstrumentation and Force Spectroscopy

Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN)

The LOMIN specializes in synthesizing molecular imaging probes, single-photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, optical, contrast enhanced ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging, as well as multimodality imaging.
  1. Biological Molecular Imaging Section
  2. Chemistry and Radiochemistry Section
  3. Theranostic Nanomedicine Section

Molecular Tracer and Imaging Core Facility

thumbnail showing two bright blobs that represent radioactive tracers on a PET scan
This core facility provides chemical and radiochemical synthesis capabilities and molecular imaging resources for small animal preclinical research for the NIBIB intramural research program.

Section on Biophotonics

Fluorescent proteins come in multiple colors and have similar structures consisting of 11-strand beta-barrels with the chromophore located inside the barrel. This is an image of a chromophore which is a cyclized tripeptide which forms in the absence of any exogeneous factors with the exception of molecular oxygen. This property makes fluorescent proteins invaluable for the tagging of specific proteins of interest and their study inside living cells.
The Section on Biophotonics develops probes and techniques for use in diffraction limited and sub-diffraction limited fluorescence imaging of cells and tissues.

Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging (HROI)

This is a picture of the laser configuration for optical imaging in the section on high resolution imaging
The section on HROI develops novel technologies for studying biological processes at unprecedented speed and resolution. Research includes improving the performance of 3D optical imaging microscopes, particularly with respect to resolution and depth and speed and phototoxicity.

Trans-NIH Shared Resource on Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science (BEPS)

This is an image is a three dimensional graph that shows the elastic properties of a section of cartilage at high resolution by mapping nanoindentations across an array of points on the cartilage
BEPS Shared Resource consists of the following Units: Electron Microscopy, Infrared Imaging and Thermometry, Micro Analytical Immunochemistry, Microfabrication and Microfluidics, Quantitative Methods for Macromolecular Interactions, and Scanning Probe Microscopy.
  1. Electron Microscopy Unit
  2. Infrared Imaging and Thermometry Unit
  3. Micro Analytical Immunochemistry
  4. Microfabrication and Microfluidics
  5. Quantitative Methods for Macromolecular Interactions
  6. Scanning Probe Microscopy Unit