Issue 17 - March 2010

ARTICLES

Hair follicles: bulging with stem cells
By Hilda Amalia Pasolli
Our bodies are protected by a magnificent cover, the epidermis. Despite being only micrometers thick, it is a formidable seal of our body surface, excluding microbes and retaining body fluids. The epidermis can elaborate a diversity of protective appendages: hair follicles (HFs), nails, sebaceous and sweat glands in mammals. In order for the epidermis and its appendages to survive normal wear and tear as well as injuries, they must undergo a continuous renewal process. For this purpose, the skin counts a reservoir of stem cells.

A closer look at PLGA microspheres
By David McCarthy
PLGA is a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer that is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a drug delivery vehicle. As a microscopist, I am frequently asked to image microspheres / microparticles (and nanospheres / particles) that are formulated from PLGA using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), for both size distribution and shape. Most researchers are concerned with obtaining a formulation that will yield a uniform particle size, which is within a desired range, and that SEM images also match data from the mean particle analyser that uses light scattering techniques. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to image fractured particles to determine if they are solid or hollow.

Practical Microscopy for Gambian Schools
The RMS Vice President’s Fund supports initiatives that benefit the public understanding of science or the developing world.
In 2009, a Vice President’s Fund award was given to ‘Practical Microscopy for Gambian Schools’. This is a report from lead applicant Pippa Howard.

Artistic Scientific Images
By Ee Jin Teo
Recently, we have seen rapid progress in the area of photonics and photonic circuits to meet the ever increasing demand for bandwidth and higher communication speeds. The key technology that will enable rapid progress to be achieved is the development and improvement of photonic integrated circuits (PIC). As is the case in electronics, silicon will most likely be the material of choice for the fabrication of PICs because it has a high transparency in the near infrared optical spectrum. Siliconbased photonics has additional advantages because the existing silicon-processing infrastructure can be used and there is considerable knowledge already available in the silicon microelectronics industry. The goal is to eventually achieve the monolithic integration of photonic devices and electronic devices on a single silicon microchip.

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