NORWAY

NORMOLIM, Norwegian Molecular Imaging Infrastructure

NORMOLIM focuses on imaging technologies and methods in the area of in vivo molecular imaging; limited to in vivo imaging in animal model systems (experimental models of disease and transgenic mice/rats). This research area is an important link for translation between breakthroughs in basic biomedical research and new clinical practice that can improve patient management and patient outcome. The research groups involved in the NORMOLIM infrastructure collaborate closely with the university hospitals and are directly involved in clinical research on translation of new knowledge, new therapies and new methods/technology into new clinical practice.

Specialties and expertise of the Node

The Node is a 3-site national collaboration where the three sites have specialized in studies of brain (Trondheim), cancer (Bergen) and heart (Oslo). The Node also offers some special methods and expertise:

• Manganese Enhanced MR Imaging.
• Tracer synthesis for PET, 18F based.
• Multimodal MR combining in vivo MR imaging, in vivo multi-nuclear MR spectroscopy, and ex vivo MR metabolomics of intact tissue samples/biopsies.
• Metabolomics studies using MR spectroscopy with 13C enriched substrates.
• High-resolution MR phase contrast imaging of myocardial strain and motion.
• High-end MRI and ultrasound-based analysis of regional myocardial function combined with advanced electrophysiological and live cell imaging techniques.
• Multimodal imaging (MRI, PET/CT, OI, US) of tumour development and treatment effects on malignant tumours.
• Ultrasound strain imaging and elastography.
• Ultrasound scanning in animal models for IBD and PDAC (Microbubbles and sonoporation).
• In vivo time-domain optical imaging of cancer, particularly with discrimination of targeted near-infrared fluorophores from endogenous background or non-targeted probe.

Offered Technologies:

Additional services offered by the Node

• Instruments
• Technical assistance to run instruments
• Methodological setup (e.g. design of study protocol and standard operation procedures)
• Training in infrastructure use
• Animal preparation
• Animal facilities
• Access to some animal models
• Data processing and analysis

Instrument highlights

All three sites have state-of-the-art instruments and full instrument details are available through the NORMOLIM web site. Some highlights are:

• Coils for in vivo 1H, 13C, 23Na, 31P, 19F MR spectroscopy/imaging
• In vivo time domain fluorescence lifetime imaging permits discrimination of fluorophores based on the fluorescence lifetime of the exogenous and endogenous fluorescence
• PMOD software for quantification of dynamic PET scans
• Molecular Ultrasound Imaging: The Visualsonics scanner has modules for 3D imaging, contrast imaging, Doppler and strain imaging

Contact details

Lili Zang
lili.zhang@medisin.uio.no

Jin Li
jin.li@ntnu.no

https://normolim.w.uib.no/