The Centre of Biophotonics (CoB) at the University of St Andrews was established in 2019 with the mission of promoting interdisciplinary research and training at the interface between advanced optical imaging, photonics and biomedical sciences. The Centre integrates researchers across four schools (Physics and Astronomy, Medicine, Biology and Psychology and Neuroscience) and builds on existing strengths in the development and application of light based technologies to investigate biological process at molecular, cellular and tissue scales. The CoB brings together more than 20 research groups around three main themes: imaging across temporal and spatial scales, mechanobiology and neurophotonics. Thus, CoB addresses important questions to improve human health including the origins of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurological disorders and the advance in the fight against bacterial and viral pathogens. The CoB is also strongly committed to translational research and the dissemination of technologies emerging from the Centre in collaboration with other institutions and industrial partners.
Seeing is believing and light-based imaging technologies are, now more than ever, uniquely positioned to unveil the mechanisms of life as well as disease. Building on more than 20 years of light-based innovation for the biosciences and by collaborating across disciplines and recruiting the best talents, we aim to watch these processes unfolding in real time, from the molecular and cellular scales, to the whole-organism level.
CoB News
2026 CoB BIOPHOTONICS SUMMER SCHOOL
Following the success of the 1st and 2nd St Andrews Biophotonics Summer School in 2024 and 2025, we are please to announce that the 3rd edition will be running from the 22nd to the 26th June 2026.
Examples of feedback from attendees to last year summer school include:
Experimental sessions were a great immersion into real bioimaging, very helpful to see other methods than everyday lab routine. Overall instructors were very helpful and supportive. Would definitely recommend this to colleagues.
More information about the 2026 Summer School content and the registration process can be found here. Prospective attendees can contact Dr Paolo Annibale ([email protected]) or Prof Carlos Penedo ([email protected]).
CoB publications
CoB participating Schools
The School of Physics and Astronomy is internationally recognized for its research at the interface between physics and life sciences. The high visibility and the successes of the School are confirmed through top ratings in various national and international rankings: for example, the School of Physics and Astronomy in St Andrews, in a joint submission with Edinburgh, was ranked joint third in the UK in REF 2014.
Research in the School of Biology is organized in three major interdiscipinary centres: Biomedical Sciences Research Complex (BSRC), Centre of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Scottish Ocean Institute (SOI). In the last Research Excellent Framework (2014), the school was ranked top in Scotland and second in the UK for research impact. Image courtesy of Marcus Bischoff.
Multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches have been central to the continued success of medical research in St Andrews. Research programmes in various aspects of cellular medicine, infection and global health, populations and behavioural sciences, and education are currently being promoted and extended. Image courtesy of Pitt, Schubert and Gather labs.
The School of Psychology and Neuroscience has an international reputation for the quality of its research and has consistently been ranked one of the best research departments in the UK. In the last Research Excellence Framework (2014), nearly half of the School’s activities (46%) were given the highest 4* rating as truly world class and the research environment was rated as equal first in the UK. Image courtesy of Marcel Schubert / Andrew Morton
CoB BioLight seminars
17th March 2026: Rethinking membrane translocation: From Botulinum toxin mechanisms to engineered nanopores
Speaker: Prof Mark Wallace, Associate Dean (Research Infrastructure) and Professor of Chemistry at King’s College, Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute
The seminar will be on 17th March at 12.00 in the School of Physics and Astronomy, Lecture Theatre C
Host: Dr John Danial
Understanding how biomolecules cross cell membranes is fundamental to both basic biology and biotechnology applications. In this talk, I will present two interconnected stories from our laboratory that challenge established paradigms and open new venues for synthetic biology. Using droplet interface bilayers and single-molecule techniques, recent work suggstest a new mechanism for how the potent neurotoxin botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) crosses membranes. Second, I will present work to combine single-molecule tracking and optical single channel recording to understand how translocation occurs in the context of nanopore sensing. These studies demonstrate how fundamental mechanistic insights can drive the development of new biotechnology tools with applications ranging from diagnostics to therapeutics.
More information about the speaker can be found in:
https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/mark-wallace