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Imaging Immunity

The platform ImagImm – Imaging Immunity, dirigée jusqu’en 2025 par Didier Marguet (éméritat), a été créée en 2007 par la fusion des plateformes de microscopie du CIML et d’IM2V (Interactions Moléculaires en Milieu Vivant).
Elle met à disposition de ses utilisateurs des ressources de microscopie optique de pointe, permettant de décrypter les mécanismes du système immunitaire, de l’échelle moléculaire jusqu’aux organismes entiers.
Scientifically led by Hugues Lelouard, la plateforme s’appuie sur les compétences de trois ingénieurs : Mathieu Fallet (responsable technique), Marie-Claire Blache (analyse d’images) et Carole Siret (microscope à feuille de lumière).

Missions
The ImagImm platform aims to:

  • Maintain and develop a state-of-the-art microscope fleet
  • Ensure the maintenance and quality monitoring of instruments in conjunction with the manufacturers' after-sales service
  • Train users through theoretical and practical teaching
  • Provide scientific and technical assistance for image acquisition and analysis
  • Develop biophotonics research and development activities adapted to CIML's biological applications

Reconnue au niveau national, ImagImm est labellisée Infrastructure in Biology, Health and Agronomy (IBISA) and is a partner of the network France-BioImagingThe platform is also a member of the consortium PICsL (Common Imaging Platform of the Luminy Site), créé en 2002 par le CIML et l’IBDML (Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille-Luminy) aujourd’hui élargi aux plateformes d’imagerie de l’INMED (L’Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée) et de l’IMM (L’Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée). Enfin, ImagImm collabore étroitement avec la plateforme de multi-ingénieries de Centuri en s’appuyant sur son expertise en mécatronique et en analyse d’images.

Training

La plateforme Imagimm assure des formations à la microscopie et à l’analyse d’images, aussi bien au sein du CIML qu’en dehors :

  • Courses and practical work integrated into the Master of Immunology (Faculty of Sciences of Luminy) and at thePolytech engineering school ;
  • Contribution to thedoctoral school through a module dedicated to image analysis;
  • Regular participation in the workshops of theCNRS MifoBio thematic microscopy school
  • Organisation d’une formation INSERM on spectral confocal imaging;
  • Actions de diffusion scientifique auprès du grand public : participation à la Science Festival, welcoming middle school students for their 3rd year internship.

Open Science

In the interests of transparency, accessibility and reproducibility of analyses (principle FAIR), ImagImm met à disposition les codes d’analyse qu’elle a développés. Vous pouvez trouver ci-dessous les logiciels développés au CIML et à travers nos collaborations avec l’institut Fresnel :

QCM: real-time quantitative quality control of single-molecule localization microscopy data
Mailfert S, Biophysical Journal, Vol 124, Issue 7, April 2025

A Shiny application to analyze tissue section images (Saphir)
Germani E, F1000R, 2021/4/8

UNsupervised particle LOCalization (UNLOC)
Mailfert, Biophys J, 2018, DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2018.06.02

Methods for Automated and Accurate Analysis of Cell Signals (MAAACS)
Salles A, Billaudeau C, et al, PLoS Comput Biol, 2013

Multiple Target Tracing (MTT)
Serge, A. et al., Nat Methods, 2008, 687-94, 5

Image analysis

Imagimm met à disposition de ses utilisateurs deux stations d’analyse d’images équipées des logiciels ImageJ, QuPath, Matlab And Imaris.
Elle développe en étroite collaboration avec les chercheurs des programmes d’analyse en R And Python, ainsi que des scripts Groovy pour QuPath et des macros pour ImageJ.
Ces outils permettent de répondre à un large éventail d’applications pour la quantification d’images 2D ou 3D, statiques ou dynamiques, sur des cellules en culture, des coupes de tissus ou des organes (ganglions, plaques de Peyer, rate) et organismes entiers (embryons de souris, ver C. elegans).
Actuellement, la plateforme mène des travaux sur la segmentation et l’analyse des interactions cellulaires en 3D, en collaboration étroite avec Thomas Boudier (Centrale Méditerranée).

Imagimm-CIML · GitHub

Projects

Project
2025
SensoSkin

Project: SensoSkin Apical extracellular matrix (aECM) shapes and protects the epithelium in all organisms. We previously showed that like […]

Nathalie PUJOL
Project
2025
DECrypting of the Tissue Instruction of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Homeostasis and Viral Infections (DECITIP)

Project: DECITIP Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) excel in the production of type I and III interferons (IFN), […]

Elena TOMASELLO
Pierre MILPIED
Project
2025
Circulating precursors and niche requirements for LysoDC differentiation (LysoDiff)

Our health depends on a delicate balance between immune defense against pathogens and tolerance to […]

Hugues LELOUARD
Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
The role of the maternal diet in embryonic immune system development

Project: CholControl You are what your mother ate Transgenerational impact of maternal diets via the regulation of RORγt activity […]

Serge VAN DE PAVERT
Project
2025
Lymphoid Tissue inducer cell ontogeny

Lymph nodes are formed in the embryo by Lymphoid Tissue Inducer (LTi) cells. LTi cells arise not from the yolk […]

Serge VAN DE PAVERT
Project
2025
Innate immune cells in the central nervous system

Innate immune cells are essential partners of the central nervous system, supporting both homeostasis and repair. Within the brain, perivascular […]

Serge VAN DE PAVERT
Project
2025
LINkS -Long-range electrodynamic INteractions between proteins

Project: LINkS The LINkS project (EU FET-OPEN) aims to change the paradigms of self-organization of intracellular living matter, […]

Didier MARGUET
Project
2025
D2OX – Distribution and Dynamics of OXPHOS

Project: D2OX The interdisciplinary D2OX project is divided into three highly interconnected tasks to elucidate how the efficiency of OXPHOS complexes […]

Didier MARGUET
Project
2025
Role of interactions with dendritic cells in maintaining NK cell functions in tumor conditions

Project: PLBIO 2024 Coordinator: Thierry Walzer, CIRI, Lyon. Other participant: Nathalie Bendriss-Vermare, CRCL, Lyon. Abstract: Natural Killer cells […]

Marc DALOD
Project
2025
To determine how dendritic cells promote effective anti-tumor NK and CD8 T responses in mouse models of breast cancer, spontaneously or in response to adjuvant administration

Project: ACLAMADABREC Partly through their effectiveness in activating natural killer (NK) cells and CD8 T lymphocytes […]

Marc DALOD
Project
2025
Accelerating our ability to understand and combat immunopathology caused by respiratory infections due to emerging viruses: from mouse models to patients to macaques

Project: UNFIRE Other participants: Ciphe (Ana Zarubica), Hospices Civils de Lyon and CIRI (Sophie Trouillet-Assant, Thierry Walzer), CoVir team […]

Marc DALOD
Marc BAJENOFF
Rejane RUA
Mauro GAYA
Philippe PIERRE
Project
2025
Contributions of non-coding genome-derived antigens to anti-tumor immune responses.

Project: PLBIO-25 Coordinator: Marianne BURBAGE, Institut Curie, Paris. Other participant: Andrew GRIFFITHS, ESPCI, Paris. The effectiveness of CD8 T lymphocytes […]

Nathalie AUPHAN-ANEZIN, PhD, HDR
Project
2025
Role of type I interferons and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in pulmonary immunopathology caused by respiratory viral infections

Project: RIPIREVI Other participants: CIPHE (Ana Zarubica and colleagues). Abstract: Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are essential for […]

Marc DALOD
Rejane RUA
Project
2025
Intracellular Carriers Against Resistant microOrganisms (ICARO)

Project: ICARO Current acellular vaccines are mostly effective against extracellular pathogens, but fail to induce a response […]

Hugues LELOUARD
Cyrille MIONNET
Project
2025
Respective immune inductive functions of epithelial tuft and M cells in relation to the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (PPTuft)

Project: PPTuft This project coordinated by Philippe Jay (IGF, Montpellier) in partnership with our team aims to determine the […]

Hugues LELOUARD
Project
2025
Myfunbat

Project: Myfunbat The project aims to define the diversity and functions of brown adipose tissue (BAT) macrophages, […]

Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
Endopos

Project: EndoPos The EndoPos project explores the role of the GDPD2 enzyme, produced in particular by pulp fibroblasts […]

Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
T-Mac 

Project: T-MAC The T-MAC project aims to understand how testicular macrophages and their niches contribute to the maintenance of […]

Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
NICHE

Project: NICHE The NICHE project explores the concept that macrophages (Macs) depend on local niches formed by […]

Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
Path Finder

Project: Path Finder This project aims to characterize the spatio-temporal development of type I dendritic cells (cDC1) in […]

Marc BAJENOFF
Project
2025
Investigating the role of endosomal dynamic modulators during immune dysregulation and neurodegenerative pathology – IMPACT Sensors

Project: IMPACT Sensors Other participants: IGBMC, Strasbourg (Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand) and Institut Curie, Paris (Franck Perez). Duration 2025 – […]

Evelina GATTI
Project
2025
Pathogenic mechanisms of HSPB8 mutations in neuromuscular diseases: the role of the ribosomal and protein quality control system and the integrated stress response.

Partner: University of Milan, Italy (Prof. Angelo Poletti, DISFEB) Frameshift mutations in HSPB8 cause neuromyopathies by disrupting […]

Evelina GATTI
Project
2025
MARCH-I dependent ubiquitination in innate and adaptive immunity: from characterization to manipulation.

CNRS – University of Melbourne Graduate Research Projects The project investigates the molecular interplay between the E3-ubiquitin ligase MARCH1 and […]

Evelina GATTI
Project
2025
MetaNiche (Spatial-SCENITH) Metabolic niches regulate hematopoiesis (MetaNiche, ANR-22-CE15-0015-02).

Bone marrow metabolic niches regulate hematopoiesis (MetaNiche, ANR-22-CE15-0015-02). Duration: 2023–2027 (42 months).Partners & funding amounts: Institut Curie (L. Perié), Institut […]

Rafael J ARGUELLO
Project
2025
UNLIMITED – MSCA doctoral network UNLIMITED (Europe)

Full title & acronym: Understanding lipid immunometabolism to treat disease (UNLIMITED).Duration: 2025–2029 (48 months).Partners & funding amounts: Consortium led by […]

Rafael J ARGUELLO
Project
2025
Neuroimmune regulations and viral infection

The host response to pathogens is orchestrated by the immune system and the nervous system, both present in […]

Sophie UGOLINI
Project
2025
Regulation of inflammation by the neurokine TAFA4

We have demonstrated that the neurokine TAFA4, produced by sensory neurons in the skin, can promote tissue repair […]

Sophie UGOLINI
Project
2025
Sensory neurons and immune regulation

Beyond the pain perception processes that are induced in the event of injury or infection of the […]

Sophie UGOLINI
Project
2025
Epic-SCENITH: regulators of metabolism and epigenetics in glioblastoma-associated myeloid cells

Duration: 2021–2025.Partners & funding amounts: APHM/La Timone (E. Tabouret); amount for team: 325 k€.Responsibilities: PI–coordinator (only beneficiary)Theme & content of […]

Rafael J ARGUELLO
Project
2025
GCselection: Redefining the selection criteria for B lymphocytes in germinal centers

The GCselection project, coordinated by Dr. Pierre Milpied (CIML), revisits the mechanisms of antibody maturation in centers […]

Pierre MILPIED
Mauro GAYA

Equipments

Equipment
2025
ZEISS LSM 980 NIR confocal microscope (Harrison)

See details on this instrument here: HARRISON LSM980 · Wiki · ImagImm / Equipment · GitLab

Equipment
2025
Zeiss LSM 980 NIR confocal microscope (Georges)

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/GEORGE-LSM980

Equipment
2025
Zeiss LSM 880 Airyscan Confocal Microscope (Kirk)

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/KIRK-LSM880

Equipment
2025
Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal Microscope (Elmer)

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/ELMER-LSM880

Equipment
2025
Zeiss Cell Observer Video Microscope

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Video_Microscope

Equipment
2025
PC Imaris

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Imaris-station

Equipment
2025
PC QuPath

See details: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Qupath-station

Equipment
2025
Multiphoton Leica TCS MP5

Not available

Equipment
2025
Lightsheet Miltenyi Blaze

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Lightsheet

Equipment
2025
Samsung Magnifier

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Samsung-Digital-Presenter

Equipment
2025
Zeiss Axioplan2 upright observation microscope

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Upright-Widefield-Microscope

Equipment
2025
Zeiss Axiovert 200 inverted observation microscope

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Inverted-Widefield-Microscope

Equipment
2025
Spot variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Homemade

See details: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/spot-variation-FCS-STEVIE

Equipment
2025
Homemade Nanoscopy

See details here: https://forge.inrae.fr/imagimm/equipment/-/wikis/Nanoscopy-JIM