We are all familiar with the concept of correlating an image acquired by light microscopy (LM) with one obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This allows us to take advantage of the “wide angle” view of LM and the high resolution of TEM. Correlative microscopy has been taken to a new level by Alvin Lin and Cynthia Goh who have designed a clever device. This device allows repetitive correlative microscopy between TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Any student of cell biology cannot help but be impressed with the exquisite organization of cellular and subcellular compartments, where Individual proteins and even nucleic acids are targeted to specific domains and held together in macromolecular assemblies to achieve orderly and efficient interactions. Perhaps nowhere is the specialization of cellular compartments more apparent than in the nervous system, where the cell contains multiple, well-defined functional domains, each with its own unique biochemical character.

The merger of molecular spectroscopy with microscopy is certainly not a new concept. Microscope attachments for FT-IR spectrometers have been available for nearly two decades and there are literally thousands of FT-IR spectrometers with these devices currently installed. The vast majority of them are applied to contaminant or forensic oriented problems. As such, the microscopes are often used as sophisticated beam condensers, enabling the spectrometer to focus infrared radiation on the samples that are typically larger than 10 microns.

Microscopists and scientific photographers sometimes find it desirable or necessary to record a larger field size than the lowest power objective can cover using brightfield illumination. This applies to the largest thin sections examined by biologists and geologists in transmitted light and the opaque, planar specimens examined by the materials scientist in reflected light. These needs were once well met by Leitz with their Panphot and Aristophot systems and to a lesser extent by Zeiss with their Ultraphot II.

The ability to immunologically link microscopic tags to specific proteins has produced major advances in all forms of microscopy. Initially researchers needed to make and label their own antibodies. This required a good working knowledge of immunology. Today's labeled antibodies are readily available from a variety of vendors. Although this has greatly facilitated the expansion of immunolabeling techniques, it has also led to their use by researchers with little or no background in immunology.

All of us who work with images understand the enormous amount of time post-processing can require. Before you know it, a few hours can easily slip by even for the most seasoned among us. When so many other things need to be done, it can be frustrating to spend hours on image preparation.

Fortunately, some more frequent steps taken in Photoshop can be automated, and these can be assigned to one of the Function keys (F keys) at the top of the keyboard, or a droplet can be made (Photoshop 6x & 7x only).

Advances in charged couple device (CCD) design, low cast processor power, cheap memory and dropping prices of digital cameras over the last few years have made the CCD digital camera art attractive alternative to the film camera for many imaging applications. This is especially true in macro imaging where it appears likely that digital cameras will replace film cameras (curiously, Long (2001), says otherwise). As will be described here, a digital camera equipped with a quality macro-zoom lens, generates images with a depth of field (e.g., Fig. 1) that greatly surpass images produced by a film camera with a comparable lens system.

Polymer films and fibers can readily be imaged in a “top-view“ mode by depositing the sample directly on a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) support grid. Sample preparation of thin polymer films and fibers for cross-sectional views in the electron microscope, however, is a major challenge. Owing to their small dimensions, the films or fibers cannot be mounted alone, because they will not remain immobilized In the microtome, even at low temperatures. Brittle polymers complicate sample preparation even further because they tend to break due to the mechanical stresses exerted on them by the microtome sample holder and the knife. Such sections often jump off the knife-edge or the sample film, thus preventing a systematic collection of thin sections. Similar arguments apply for cross-sectional atomic force microscopy (AFM).

D. Sherman: This session centers on approaches to maintaining major equipment—primarily electron microscopes. I thought we ought to look at how effective it is to seivice with onsite engineers. So with that I would like to start us out with Pat McGinley from JEOL.

Pat is a long—time JEOL employee. He started out as a service engineer in 1976 and is currently Vice President of Service and a member of the Board of Directors for JEOL USA.