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Revolution in microscopy: New algorithm accelerates image analysis!
Professors at the University of Göttingen receive ERC funding for innovative projects in chemistry, biomedicine and microscopy.
Revolution in microscopy: New algorithm accelerates image analysis!
On July 14, 2025, three leading researchers from the Georg-August University of Göttingen, Prof. Dr. Lutz Ackermann, Prof. Dr. Timo Betz and Prof. Dr. Jörg Enderlein, received a significant grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This Proof of Concept (PoC) grant of 150,000 euros will be provided over a period of 18 months and is aimed at researchers with previous ERC funding. The funding is intended to support innovative projects that have the potential to enable significant advances in science and technology.
Prof. Ackermann focuses his funding on the “PhotoElectroFlow” project. This involves the development of an environmentally friendly chemical synthesis technology that uses solar and electrical energy. The main goal of PhotoElectroFlow is the creation of a continuous electrolyzer based on photoelectrochemical molecular synthesis.
Innovations in image analysis
Another focus of Prof. Betz is the development of the “BiQ-Cloud” platform. This platform aims to provide cost-effective analysis tools for biomedical research. BiQ-Cloud enables the analysis of microscopy images in a secure cloud environment and does not require expensive software or extensive IT knowledge. The system is currently used to analyze heart and skeletal muscles and serves as the basis for founding a spin-out company.
In addition, Prof. Enderlein is working on an innovative microchip, the “QYieldChip”, which is used to measure the luminescence quantum yield without calibration. This technology enables precise measurements in various luminescent systems and has applications in the areas of bioimaging, materials science, agriculture and environmental sensing.
Advances in microscopy
In the world of imaging, an international team researching at the University of Tübingen has developed an algorithm called DECODE (DEep COntext DEpendent) that is revolutionizing super-resolution microscopy. This method, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014, enables detailed insights into cellular and nanometric structures. The algorithm improves single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) by dramatically reducing the number of images required, thereby increasing the imaging speed by up to tenfold, without significant loss in resolution.
The software for using DECODE is free and easy to install, making it a valuable tool for researchers. At the same time, DECODE quantifies the uncertainties in localization and uses deep learning to achieve better results. This algorithm was developed in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and the Janelia Research Campus in Virginia (USA).
In summary, the funding of the University of Göttingen and the advances in microscopy show how innovations in biomedical research and in the field of image analysis can be promoted. Developments in image processing and new technologies have the potential to provide significant insights into the fundamentals of biological processes and could have widespread applications in medicine and other scientific fields. Further information about these projects and technologies can be found on the website Georg August University of Göttingen, Jülich Research Center and University of Tübingen to find.