RTmfm — Réseau Thématique de Microscopie Fonctionnelle Multi-échelles
Overview
RTmfm is a CNRS thematic network (Réseau Thématique) for functional multi-scale microscopy in France, operating under the CNRS Mission pour les Initiatives Transverses et Interdisciplinaires (MITI). It federates French academic microscopy facilities, platform managers, methods developers, and biologists who use advanced light microscopy across spatial and temporal scales, functioning as a community coordination and knowledge exchange body rather than a funding or infrastructure entity. RTmfm’s scope covers the full range of functional optical microscopy, from widefield and confocal to super-resolution (STED, STORM, PALM), light sheet, two-photon, and correlative approaches, across biological scales from single molecules to whole organisms.
Structure and Activities
The network organises thematic working groups that address shared technical and operational challenges across French microscopy facilities. The most directly relevant to this graph is GT-GeDeM (Groupe de Travail Gestion des Données de Microscopie), the RTmfm working group specifically addressing microscopy data management, FAIR practices, and metadata standardisation. GT-GeDeM functions as the French community counterpart to the international QUAREP-LiMi initiative.
RTmfm activities include annual meetings and workshops bringing together facility managers and users from across France, thematic working groups on image analysis, data management, training and quality assurance, coordination with France BioImaging (whose member nodes overlap substantially with RTmfm’s facility network), and participation in European bioimaging standardisation discussions via Euro-BioImaging and QUAREP-LiMi.
Relationship to France BioImaging and GT-GeDeM
RTmfm and France BioImaging are complementary: France BioImaging is an ESFRI-recognised infrastructure with formal governance and funding, while RTmfm is a lighter community network open to the broader French microscopy community beyond France BioImaging nodes. In practice, France BioImaging node managers are active in RTmfm, and the two structures coordinate on training, standards and national representation in European fora.
GT-GeDeM emerged from RTmfm as the community needed a dedicated space to address the growing complexity of microscopy data management: file format diversity (OME File Formats), metadata standards (REMBI, QUAREP-LiMi), FAIR deposit practices, and the specific requirements of French open science mandates under Ouvrir la Science.
Connections
- Parent organisation: CNRS (MITI)
- Working groups: GT-GeDeM
- Closely aligned with: France BioImaging, Euro-BioImaging
- International counterpart: QUAREP-LiMi