infocus Library

8 December 2021 December 2021

“You never know until you ask…” The story of the UK inspireSTEM SEM in schools programme

When I was growing up there were two things my parents always told me; 1. Just try something new, you might like it and if you don’t, well, then you know. 2. “Ask”: what’s the worst that can happen? Not only has this stayed with me but as a teacher it’s the most useful advice that I can give to my students.

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8 December 2021 December 2021

Hidden glamour

Sometimes you will see beauty where you would not expect it. It may awaken in you a desire to see it again, and you will be amazed that this was not a futile endeavor, and that you have actually discovered a new, unforeseen and inspiring source of creativity. The source is all the more unusual because only a microscopist can see it.

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8 December 2021 December 2021

LED microscopy illumination: a win-win for performance and sustainability

LED illumination systems offer significant performance advantages compared to traditional metal halide and mercury lamps, but did you know they are also much better for the environment? This is largely down to two factors: saving energy and avoiding mercury.

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8 December 2021 December 2021

Multiwavelength epi-illumination fluorescence microscopy. A review.

Professor Johan Sebastiaan Ploem is an RMS Honorary Fellow and served as President of the Society from 1986 - 87. Among his many achievements during a celebrated career, he is perhaps best known for his work on epi-illumination fluorescence microscopy. In this contribution for infocus, he reflects on some of the key impacts and applications stemming from the development of this technique.

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8 December 2021 December 2021

UV transmission microscopy – optical imaging without glass

Ultraviolet (UV) transmission microscopy is a technique which has been around for over 100 years. Originally developed in the pursuit of resolution, it has become less used over time due to the technical complexities involved and the rise of other methods.

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8 September 2021 September 2021

Part-time PhD: Top tips for success

Doing a PhD part-time around a busy day-job in a research facility can be a challenge, not only in balancing the time and responsibilities, but even getting it off the ground in the first place. There can be plenty of logistical and financial considerations, as well as dogma and attitudes to break through, but some advanced planning and steps can ease the way a little.

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8 September 2021 September 2021

Roger Angold interview

How do you make the perfect light-sponge cake?…or turn starch into a protein product you can sell the world-over? Well, you could start by asking Roger Angold, one of the UK’s most respected food scientists, and a member of the RMS since the early 1960s.

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8 September 2021 September 2021

Vitamin C: Shapes and colours

Vitamin C – otherwise known as ascorbic acid - is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and effective immune system function.

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8 September 2021 September 2021

Automated Nanoscale Quality Control For Reliable, Artifact-free Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) users need to acquire the best high-resolution images and the most reliable and consistent data possible. To do this, they need highly accurate and precise AFM probes. Any defect to the probe’s nanoscale tip will result in imaging artifacts and inconsistent data – and there is a chance the AFM researcher won’t even realise it, resulting in lost time and resources.

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6 June 2021 June 2021

Peter Evennett interview

In the first of a series of infocus interviews looking into the careers of eminent figures from across the field of microscopy, we are delighted and privileged to speak to one of the RMS’s most respected and long-standing members, Dr Peter Evennett, Hon FRMS.

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