Mission
German BioImaging – Gesellschaft für Mikroskopie und Bildanalyse e.V. (GerBI-GMB, Society for Microscopy and Image Analysis) was founded end of April 2017. Unlike most European countries with a strong research track record, Germany has not had its own scientific society for light microscopy – until now. This is all the more surprising, given the fact that the foundations for optics and light microscopy were, to a large extent, laid in Germany in the mid-19th century by Ernst Abbe, Carl Zeiss, and Ernst Leitz. Today, the Zeiss and Leica enterprises, which are both based in Germany, are global market leaders in microscopy, and are among others the supporters of GerBI-GMB. In March 2018, GerBI-GMB has been granted funding by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung.
GerBI-GMB represents the interests of researchers and professionals as well as core facilities in Germany involved in microscopy and image data analysis for the life sciences. It fosters interaction and exchange of information within the community, between scientists and engineers, among academia and industry, and represents the interests of its members at funding bodies. GerBI-GMB promotes the cooperation with organisations and groups operating in related research and technology fields in Germany and throughout the world. GerBI-GMB also promotes communication and exchange with the public on topics related to microscopy and image analysis in the life sciences.