Biomedical Imaging Research Unit
Welcome!
The Biomedical Imaging Research Unit (BIRU) is a Research Platform that provides shared research infrastructure, training and support. It is located in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the Grafton campus.
'When Van Gogh gets under your skin', Darven Murali Tharan, Faculty of Science
Reveals the organisation of collagen fibres in biological tissue showcasing the orientation and distribution of collagen fibres in human skin, taken in vivo. The data was taken using polarisation-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT).
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Our unit
Read about the facility.
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Microscopy and imaging
Find out about our imaging modalities.
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Tissue processing
See what support equipment is available.
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Image processing and analysis
Investigate our software.
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BIRU image competition
See winning and highly commended entries.
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Event photos
See photos from BIRU events.
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Resources and links
Find out about imaging, suppliers, workshops and conferences.
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Teaching and learning
Read about courses that our unit is involved in.
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Our people
Contact individual staff members at our unit.
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Welcome to our new Technical Manager
08 May 2025Dr Victoria Hewitt has been appointed as the new Technical Manager of BIRU. Victoria has a research background with experience imaging mitochondrial dynamics and morphology in neurons in flies and mice. She has experience in confocal imaging and TEM and will support the team providing advice and training, experimental design and image analysis as well as providing operational support and leadership in the BIRU. -
New Olympus FV4000 upright confocal microscope
23 January 2025There is a new confocal microscope in the BIRU! The system is a FLUOVIEW Olympus FV4000. It is an upright confocal microscope with the most sensitive detector technology on the market. It can image standard fluorophores as well as near-infrared/ far-red signals. It has a point scanner for detailed imaging and a resonant scanner for fast live cell/ large volume imaging. Heating and cooling are also available. -
New spectral cell sorter brings enhanced research capability
12 January 2025A special event was recently held to express gratitude to the trustees of the Medical and Health Sciences Foundation for their generosity in funding a new state of the art Cytek Aurora Spectral Cell Sorter. The new system has significantly enhanced research capabilities available at The University of Auckland. The trustees, including Professor Warwick Bagg (Dean), were treated to a demonstration of the capabilities of the system by BIRU staff member Dr. Sandy Chen.