infocus #58 June 2020 Maintaining a stable environment for electron microscopy

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.186

As new technologies continue to come to market, laboratories are expanding and investing in more and more electronic equipment. Every inch of the laboratory must be put to good use as space becomes ever-more precious. This busy setting, combined with the growth – and noise – of the surrounding urban environment, creates considerable problems for electron microscopists, as the quality of the results depends heavily on maintaining a stable operating environment, free from vibration and external magnetic fields. Prior to setting up a sensitive electron microscope, it is crucial that the area is meticulously surveyed, to ensure that the quality of the images produced is not affected by external factors.