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.
Historical accounts of Antony van Leeuwenhoek, the microscope pioneer, repeatedly refer to his drawings of microbes and of microscopic structure. In fact, not one of the drawings was made by his hand.
Captivating images created by a 19th-century microscopy pioneer and past president of the RMS were the subject of a fascinating exhibition at a prestigious London gallery earlier this year.
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.
