On Wednesday, 8th October 2014, Professor Stefan Hell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of stimulated emission-depleted microscopy (STED) conducted at the University of Turku. This was a significant milestone in imaging, as STED was a revolution, pushing the limits of what was then considered physically possible. Stefan Hell's work gave researchers a powerful tool to explore uncharted areas, such as virology and live-cell imaging. Ten years later, the Turku research community gathered to celebrate its numerous outstanding imaging achievements.
Hearing the backstage story that led to a Nobel Prize is a rare privilege, especially if the storyteller was a firsthand witness of the everyday life of a now-world-renowned researcher. When Pekka Hänninen, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, took the stage to open the second part of 'From Imaging Nobel to AI Future', a trilingual event co-organised by Euro-BioImaging, Turku BioImaging, InFLAMES Flagship and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku, the room went silent. Pekka Hänninen explained in detail to the audience how Stefan Hell, a then-early-career scientist, never gave up despite the obstacles, faced the adversity, followed his instinct and painstakingly went on to develop his ideas that ultimately led to an imaging revolution. Pekka Hänninen's words carried hope and inspiration, making a deep impression on the audience.
'From Imaging Nobel to AI Future', held on 4th September 2024, was not just a celebration. It was a platform for inspiration, interaction, and exchange, where younger learners could engage with senior professors, art met science, and a casual conversation could spark a passionate discussion. Segmented in audience-adapted content, 'From Imaging Nobel to AI Future' started with interactive workshops about the basics of biomedical imaging aimed at high-school students. Over a hundred young learners attended two workshops and engaged in lively discussions with local imaging researchers.
Between the talks and the workshops, the audience could visit the digital art installation specially curated by Euro-BioImaging for the event. The installation featured two original pieces on a bigger-than-life 22,5 x 3, 5-meter screen. The first one, Inner Cosmos, is a multisensorial journey inside the human body where the infinitely small becomes overwhelming and is an invitation to re-imagine humanity's place in the universe. The second piece was an immense display of biological and biomedical images, where cells create intricate, mesmerising, moving landscapes.
The programme went on with a series of inspirational talks by world-renowned, leading imaging scientists, such as Pekka Hänninen, John Eriksson—Euro-BioImaging Director General, Juhani Knuuti—Director of the Turku PET Centre, Johanna Ivaska—Professor at the Turku Bioscience Centre and Leena Hupa—Professor at the Åbo Akademi University. The talks, delivered in English, Finnish, and Swedish, sparked lively interactions with an audience of diverse scientific community members and the general public. One of the significant achievements of the event was bringing together such diverse groups and creating space for discussions between experts and non-specialists. Discussions between guests continued long after the last speaker left the stage.
As one of the high schoolers said in the morning after a workshop, turning to her teacher in excitement: "We need more events like this!"
September 11, 2025
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