Melting and Solidification of Ultrafine Particles Investigated by Optical and Electron Microscopy Techniques

Microscopy is the main technique to visualize and study the structure and function of cells. The impact of optical and electron microscopy techniques is enormous in all fields of biomedical research. It is possible that different research areas rely on microscopy in diverse ways. Here, we analyzed comparatively the use of microscopy in pharmacology and cell biology, among other biomedical sciences fields. We collected data from articles published in several major journals in these fields. We analyzed the frequency of use of different optical and electron microscopy techniques: bright field, phase contrast, differential interference contrast, polarization, conventional fluorescence, confocal, live cell imaging, super resolution, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and cryoelectron microscopy. Our analysis showed that the use of microscopy has a distinctive pattern in each research area, and that nearly half of the articles from pharmacology journals did not use any microscopy method, compared to the use of microscopy in almost all the articles from cell biology journals. The most frequent microscopy methods in all the journals in all areas were bright field and fluorescence (conventional and confocal). Again, the pattern of use was different: while the most used microscopy methods in pharmacology were bright field and conventional fluorescence, in cell biology the most used methods were conventional and confocal fluorescence, and live cell imaging. We observed that the combination of different microscopy techniques was more frequent in cell biology, with up to 6 methods in the same article. To correlate the use of microscopy with the research theme of each article, we analyzed the proportion of microscopy figures with the use of cell culture. We analyzed comparatively the vocabulary of each biomedical sciences field, by the identification of the most frequent words in the articles. The collection of data described here shows a vast difference in the use of microscopy among different fields of biomedical sciences. The data presented here could be valuable in other scientific and educational contexts.

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A SEM/TEM examination of a ceramic membrane

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100144802 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 682-683

Author(s):

C.E. Voegele-Kliewer ◽

A.D. McMaster ◽

G.W. Dirks

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Gas Separation ◽

Ceramic Membrane ◽

Hydrogen Iodide ◽

Separation Processes ◽

Corning Glass ◽

Gas Transport Properties ◽

Porous Microstructure ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

The Relationship

Materials other than polymers, e.g. ceramic silicates, are currently being investigated for gas separation processes. The permeation characteristics of one such material, Vycor (Corning Glass #1370), have been reported for the separation of hydrogen from hydrogen iodide. This paper will describe the electron microscopy techniques applied to reveal the porous microstructure of a Vycor membrane. The application of these techniques has led to an increased understanding in the relationship between the substructure and the gas transport properties of this material.

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Microscopy Methods for Biofilm Imaging: Focus on SEM and VP-SEM Pros and Cons

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10010051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Michela Relucenti ◽

Giuseppe Familiari ◽

Orlando Donfrancesco ◽

Maurizio Taurino ◽

Xiaobo Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽

Ion Beam ◽

Ruthenium Red ◽

Variable Pressure ◽

Sem Images ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Scanning Electron

Several imaging methodologies have been used in biofilm studies, contributing to deepening the knowledge on their structure. This review illustrates the most widely used microscopy techniques in biofilm investigations, focusing on traditional and innovative scanning electron microscopy techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), variable pressure SEM (VP-SEM), environmental SEM (ESEM), and the more recent ambiental SEM (ASEM), ending with the cutting edge Cryo-SEM and focused ion beam SEM (FIB SEM), highlighting the pros and cons of several methods with particular emphasis on conventional SEM and VP-SEM. As each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages, the choice of the most appropriate method must be done carefully, based on the specific aim of the study. The evaluation of the drug effects on biofilm requires imaging methods that show the most detailed ultrastructural features of the biofilm. In this kind of research, the use of scanning electron microscopy with customized protocols such as osmium tetroxide (OsO4), ruthenium red (RR), tannic acid (TA) staining, and ionic liquid (IL) treatment is unrivalled for its image quality, magnification, resolution, minimal sample loss, and actual sample structure preservation. The combined use of innovative SEM protocols and 3-D image analysis software will allow for quantitative data from SEM images to be extracted; in this way, data from images of samples that have undergone different antibiofilm treatments can be compared.

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Unraveling the fine-tuned lemon coloration of a pierid butterfly Catopsilia pomona

Microscopy ◽

10.1093/jmicro/dfx037 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 66 (6) ◽

pp. 414-423

Author(s):

Monalisa Mishra ◽

Ashutosh Choudhury ◽

P Sagar Achary ◽

Harekrushna Sahoo

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽

Variable Temperature ◽

Wing Pattern ◽

Physical Composition ◽

Different Types ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Pierid Butterfly ◽

Best Fit ◽

Scanning Electron

Abstract Butterflies wings possess different types of scales to perform diverse functions. Each scale has many nano and microstructures, which interferes with light, resulting in unique coloration for each butterfly. Besides coloration, the arrangement of scales further helps in giving better survivability. Thus, analysis of wing pattern provides an overall idea about adaptation and activity of the animal. The current study deciphers the structure and composition of a wing of a pierid butterfly Catopsilia pomona, which remains active at 42°C at which temperature all other butterflies face a tougher task for existence. In order to know the relation between survivability and adaptation in the wing, we have investigated the structural and physical composition of the wing of C. pomona under optical spectroscopy (absorption, reflectance and transmittance) along with microscopy techniques (optical and scanning electron microscopy), which are not described in earlier studies. The current findings reveal unique structural arrangement within scales to provide the best fit to the animal in variable temperature.

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