infocus Article Backfile

Ciliated tissues are extremely prolific in biological systems and are essential for the transport of particles and fluids throughout the human body — yet remarkably little is known about the mechanics that govern their development.

The surface characterisation of pharmaceutical-based powders is a challenge due to their beam sensitivity. Secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (SEHI) is a novel surface analysis technique which filters secondary electrons (SE) energies using mirror electrodes to generate a spectrum.

Rotifers are microscopic animals found in freshwater that include wet soil and lakes. They belong to the phylum Rotifera, typically range in size from 50 to 500 micrometres. They contain corona, which are wheel-like structures that facilitate movement and feeding by generating water currents to draw in microorganisms.

Phagocytosis is the process by which macrophages, key cells of the innate immune system, engulf and destroy pathogens and dead cells.

Biofilms are communities of microbes bound together by a network of extracellular substances such as proteins, lipids, and DNA.

The aim of the studentship evolved significantly over the course of my placement with the Advanced Imaging Core Technologies Unit (AICTU). The central aim, however, of advancing my imaging skills across a range of microscopical and analytical techniques, remained consistent.

This RMS studentship was focused on creating and then testing the functionality of an optics module that would use the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera modules instead of the currently used Raspberry Pi Camera 2 in the OpenFlexure microscope.

How does an Electron Microscopy (EM) facility come into being? For many established facilities it feels as though they have always existed, sewn into the fabric of institutes, departments and universities.

When I started on my journey into microscopy in 2020, the initial aim was to make a UV transmission microscope for my research into sunscreens (previously written about in Crowther, 2021). Very soon I found myself in need of something to help me determine the resolution of my microscope and this was where I was introduced to the wonderful world of diatoms.

Microscopy and biology have always been intimately linked together. One of the driving forces for the development of the very earliest microscopes was our curiosity of the basis of life and our desire to understand it.

As the celebrated marine biologist and writer Rachel Carson once said, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.

Since its inception, fluorescence imaging has revolutionised biological research, providing an invaluable tool for scientists to explore and visualise cellular structures and processes at a microscopic scale.

Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are popular imaging tools across a wide range of research and industrial applications, enabling clear view at nanometre scales due to their unparalleled magnification capabilities.