The Multimode Trans-Scale Biomedical Imaging Facility in Beijing has officially passed national acceptance, marking a significant advancement in life sciences research and the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases.

The facility, which has been referred to as a 'life observatory', was developed by Peking University in collaboration with the Institute of Biophysics and several other research institutions, with a total investment of approximately 1.717 billion yuan (about 237 million U.S. dollars).

Construction of the facility began in 2019 and aims to facilitate trans-scale and panoramic observation of living organisms.

Cheng Heping, director and chief scientist of the National Biomedical Imaging Center at Peking University, highlighted its role in revealing intricate aspects of life at various biological scales.

The facility's core components consist of a multimodal medical imaging platform, a multimodal living cell imaging platform, a multimodal high-resolution molecular imaging platform, and a multi-scale image data integration system.

This allows for visualization and precise measurement of biological structures and functions ranging from molecules to entire organisms.

The imaging capabilities of the facility span an impressive ten orders of magnitude, from angstroms to meters, enabling comprehensive insights into the dynamics of disease progression, thereby supporting both drug development and clinical treatment processes.

Sun Yujie, deputy dean of the College of Future Technology at Peking University, emphasized that thorough observation at molecular, cellular, and organ levels is essential for uncovering disease mechanisms and implementing precision therapies.

Within the facility's advanced laboratory settings, a helium-free magnetoencephalography (MEG) system has been developed by Gao Jiahong, director of Peking University's Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center.

This innovative system enables real-time display of neuromagnetic signal patterns from patients, enhancing the detection of neuronal signals associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, which traditional CT and MRI methods may overlook.

The Institute of Biophysics has reported that the facility has already attracted 29 major project proposals focusing on systematic research in digital life sciences, including significant areas like brain science and tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Future plans for the facility include the provision of imaging omics research tools aimed at addressing complex life processes and major biomedical challenges.

In addition, the facility plans to establish an industrial innovation alliance with universities, research institutions, and companies within the biomedical imaging sector, aiming to create a collaborative ecosystem that integrates industry, academia, and research.

The facility will be accessible to domestic researchers and is set to promote international collaborations with biomedical imaging platforms in the United States, the European Union, and other regions.

Sun Yujie expressed an open invitation to global scientists to engage in collaborative research through this new international platform.