High Frequency Earth Loops. We also had an interesting stray fields problem which showed up in high noise counts in X-ray spectra - the amount depending on the scan rate in the SEM! This was traced to a high frequency earth loop (no DC connection) with capacitive coupling associated with the thin plastic shin isolating the X-ray detector from the column. This was solved by passing a few loops of the whole cable going to the X-ray detector through a large toroid to increase the high frequency impedance of this part of the loop.
Alan Wilson alan.wilson-at-dsto.defence.gov.au
Senior Research Scientist Ship Structures and Materials Division Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory Defence Science and Technology Organization 506 Lorimer St Fishermens Bend 3207 Victoria Australia ph 61 3 9626 7508, fax 61 3 9626 7816 or 61 3 9626 7087
We are Lab. of El. Microscopy, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences. We also offer EM services to other Institutes and Universities in the Czech in the field of biology. We want also to use electron diffraction on the TEM Philips 420 and to connect CCD or TV camera to microscop in the near future. And there are some problems to solve.
Please, I have a few questions.
1. Is there some difference in el. diffraction images obtained by different way? I mean: a/ Normal image is loaded by camera to PC and the diffraction is obtained by computer. b/ El.diffraction image is loaded on the planfilm and this one is processed by laser diffraction. c/ El. diffraction is loaded directly by camera and processed by computer. d/ El. diffraction is loaded on the planfilm and this one is scanned to computer and processed by computer.
2. Exist some camera /CCD or TV/, by which it is possible to load el. diffraction images directly? / I'am afraid that very intensive main beam can destroy the detector/
Thank You Very Much for responses.
Milos Motejl Lab. of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences Branisovska 31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice CZECH REPUBLIC FAX : 042/038/47743 E-mail: lem-at-paru.cas.cz .............................................................................
Energy Beam Sciences carries the TAAB polypropylene embedding capsules. The advantage of polypropylene is that these capsules can be autoclaved and used at temperatures up to 100 degrees C. They come in in two diameters (6mm and 8mm) and two styles (flat ends and truncated pyramids). They can be found on p45 of our Catalog 3, or, on-line, at http://www.ebsciences.com, in the TEM supplies section of the catalog.
Best regards Sonja L. White, Sales & Marketing Secretary ******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
By some odd coincidence, I was just trying to find out if such a thing exsited yesterday. Right now, I'm trying to make a beem capsule work by setting it on it's cap and snipping the tip to allow filling from what is now the top. I would love to hear if these flat bottom capsules are available in the US too, so please post your replies to the list. Thankyou,
Karen
On Wed, 31 Jul 1996, Tobias Baskin wrote:
} Greetings, } We have been using some capsules that are like "beem" capsules, } 8mm diameter and with a snap-on cap, only instead of having a cone or a } pyramid, they are simply flat on the bottom. They are made from } polyethylene (polypropylene ones are made too). These are great for flat } embedding. We got ours from TAAB in England, but we have used them up } nearly. Does anyone know if these are for sale in the USA? A quick perusal } of catalogs from several major USA supply houses failed to find 'em. Thanks } for any leads. } Tobias Baskin } } - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - } ___ ____ ^ ____ _____ Tobias I. Baskin } / \ / / \ / \ / University of Missouri } / | / / \ / / Biological Sciences } /___ / /__ /_____\ / /__ 109 Tucker Hall } / / / \ ( / Columbia, MO 65211 USA } / / / \ \ / voice: 573-882-0173 } / /____ / \ \____/ /_____ fax: 573-882-0123 } } }
Message-Id: {2.2.32.19960801155035.006c12e8-at-192.0.2.2} X-Sender: ez1-at-192.0.2.2 X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I have a rather old Cambridge Stereoscan SEM, and I think the pirani gauge controller may have gone bad. It's an Edwards pirani gauge, model M6A. If anyone knows how to check whether it still works and/or where to find a replacement (Edwards no longer makes that model), please e-mail me. Thank you. -Eugene Zarakhovsky ez1-at-netcom.com "Show me an angel, I'll paint one." -Courbet
Comments: Authenticated sender is {wesleysm-at-biology.und.ac.za}
I would appreciate to hear from anyone who has had experience in RECORDING freezing rates used in cryofixation. I am particularly interested in establishing the duration and interval of the sampling required.
Please reply directly to my address.
Thank you.
################################################### James Wesley-Smith Electron Microscope Unit George Campbell Building University of Natal Durban, South Africa http://www.und.ac.za/und/emu/emunit.html ###################################################
Message-Id: {1.5.4.32.19960801125444.0068d3c0-at-biotech.ufl.edu} X-Sender: sdw-at-biotech.ufl.edu X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi Bob. I will summerize all of the replies in a bit. Meanwhile, there was another thread a while back posted to the server which I have archived. Go to the web page listed at the end of this message. Click on the "Tips & Tricks" button. You will find a link for "SEM Techniques & Instrumentation" which wil point to another link called "Dealing with Drift, SEM". It may prove useful. If you do not have web access, let me know and I will be happy to get the info to you some other way.
At 09:44 AM 7/31/96 +0600, you wrote: } } Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 08:31:36 -0700 } } From: John Best {jbest-at-vicon.net} } } To: sdw-at-biotech.ufl.edu } } CC: microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com } } Subject: Re: Stray EM Fields } } } } Scott, } } } } This is an odd image. Typically, with periodic EM or mechanical } } interference, you'll see jagged edges. The amplitude of the "jagginess" } } increases proportionally with magnification. } } } } I assume in this image your referring to the banding on the substrate. Is } } this correct? } } } } My best guess at this time if that the scan rotation was at 90 degrees } } and you've left the SEM's ABC circuit on during image collection. } } } } John Best -- ELMDAS Co. } } jbest-at-vicon.net } } We don't have Scott's problem with our JEOL 5400 SEM, but we do have this } jagginess problem that John Best deicribes. JEOL has been here and we have } looked for electrical fields. Not a problem. A shield was installed in the } consol to eliminate fields emmanating from the CRT's. No effect The company } service people are stumped, and we are left unable to use the SEM a high mags. } This outlet problem intrigues me, however. Please keep this thread going for a } while. } } Bob Schmitz } rschmitz-at-uwspmail.uwsp.edu } or } rschmitz-at-macsrv1.uwsp.edu } (note its macsrv"one" not "el") } Robert (Bob) J. Schmitz } Department of Biology, } University of Wisc. Stevens Point. } Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481 } ph 715-346-2420 } }
Scott D. Whittaker 218 Carr Hall Research Assistant Gainesville, FL 32610 University Of Florida ph 904-392-1295 ICBR EM Core Lab fax 904-846-0251 sdw-at-biotech.ufl.edu http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/ The home of " Tips & Tricks "
I apologize for bringing this subject up again, but we have recently purchased a print processor and the information I was collecting from the bulletin board has disappeared during my relocation to another province. I was hoping that someone may have a summary of the discussion about the venting of print processors as we are in the midst of renovating our darkroom to install a new one. Please respond to my E-mail address so that I don't clog up the bulletin board with repetitive information. Thanks in advance, Paula. allanwojtasp-at-em.agr.ca
I was wondering if anybody knows of a supplier of o-rings in the metric size. The suppliers I have dealt with here in Baltimore only have stock of even size o-rings such as 2mm, 3mm, etc. I need a supplier that can provide fractional sizes also such as, 2.3mm, 2.5mm, etc. I am more concerned about the width of the o-ring being fractional than I am of the I.D. or O.D. All of the o-rings I use are in whole numbers as far as the O.D. and I.D. goes. Thanx.
#################################################### Rosemary Walsh Electron Microscope Facility for the Life Sciences The Biotechnology Institute for Research and Education 1 South Frear Lab University Park, PA 16802 814-865-0212 email:rw9-at-psu.edu ####################################################
I have just purchased a Harris printer which produces black and white photo quality prints on special but affordable paper (i.e.$ 0.68). My concern is that one student could still break the budget. This will be attached over a ether net to our Macs (Mac 8500 and Mac II). We have two printers hooked up to the computers i.e. a Apple 600 dpi laser printer and soon the Harris Printer. I only need the security on the Harris printer.
Does anyone know of a password entry to a printer which I might be able to change. Even if I couldn't change it, just having a password entry would help. I have checked with the folks that make MacControl, At East (Apple), and On Guard which are security systems for Macs and they do not have a way of doing that.
Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Judy Murphy
Judy Murphy, PhD Dept. of Microscopy San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Please refrain from telling people how to operate the listserver using commands that DONOT exist on this system.. I realize you are trying to give advice but please READ your instructions. That is where you will find out how to do things.
You all received instructions on Subscribing and Unsubscribing when you initially subscribed and I periodically (a few times a year repost those instructions to the current subscribers) those are the commands that work no others. Using or telling people to use commands that are NOT IMPLEMENTED do nothing more than increase my work load.
Nestor Your Tired & Friendly Neighborhood SysOp who is also the Program Chairman of the Microscopy & Microanalysis 96 Meeting!!!
FALL 1996 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT - Transmission Electron Microscopy (BIO. 221-E2)
NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A fifteen week, fall 1996 semester, course in Biological Transmission Electron Microscopy is being offered by the Biology Department of Nassau Community College. This is a 4 credit course offered ONE EVENING PER WEEK, Thursdays, starting at 5:30pm. Classes will begin on Sept. 5 and end on Dec. 12, 1996.
This is a "hands-on" course emphasizing biological specimen preparation, ultra-thin sectioning involving block trimming, glass knifemaking and operation of the ultramicrotomes (Sorvall MT-2B and LKB Ultrotome III), thick and ultra-thin section mounting and contrast staining (UA and Pb citrate), grid support films (formvar, carbon), student operation of the TEM (Hitachi HS-8, Philips EM 300) and production of electron micrographs through the process of black & white photography, and electron micrograph analysis. Students will work on a chosen sample(s) with the goal of producing a portfolio of high quality TEM photomicrographs of that sample(s).
The course is widely transferrable and the cost per credit is reasonable at $78 per credit.
More information about the Bio-Imaging Center at NCC, course descriptions and syllabi, and the humble beginnings of a student gallery of EM photomicrographs is available at our recently completed web site. The URL is {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} . Any comments or suggestions on the homepage would be appreciated - I'm somewhat new at this!
For those without www access, the catalog description is specified below. If you have further questions, you should e-mail me directly at the address below.
Interested individuals should register early (prior to Aug. 15) since the course is limited to a total enrollment of ten (10) students. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____
CATALOG DESCRIPTION BIO 221: Transmission Electron Microscopy -- 4 credits Prerequisites: BIO 109-110 or equivalent, CHE 151-152 or equivalent. An introduction to the basic principles of transmission electron microscopy including tissue preparation, microscope (TEM) operation, black & white photography, and micrograph interpretation. The entire laboratory is devoted to the development of skills and preparative techniques involved with the operation of an actual transmission electron microscope. (3 lecture, 3 laboratory hours). Laboratory fee applies. ________________________________________________________________________________
Stephen J. Beck Bio-Imaging Center/Electron Microscopy Department of Biology Nassau Community College Garden City, NY 11530 Voice Mail: (516) 572-7829 Email: {becks-at-sunynassau.edu} URL: {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm}
} Listmembers, } I don't know if this works on every list, but a technique I've used to stop } emailbox overflow when I'm out of town is to use the following command: } } the TO: address should be LISTSERV-at-MSA.MICROSCOPY.COM } in the text of the message put the line (no signature or footers): } SET MICROSOPY NOMAIL } } When you're ready to get your mail again, send the following message to the } listserv address (LISTSERV-at-MSA.MICROSCOPY.COM): } SET MICROSCOPY MAIL } } It's probably about as effective as unsubscribing and resubscribing } (provided you remember how to do that without sending your request to all of } us list readers). It does have the advantage of avoiding the welcome } messages that come when you resubscribe (not that we mind Nestor's eloquent } prose...). } } Have a safe vacation. } } Doug } ..................................................................... } : Douglas W. Cromey, M.S. Dept. of Cell Biology & Anatomy : } : Sr. Research Specialist University of Arizona : } : (office: AHSC 4212A) P.O. Box 245044 : } : (voice: 520-626-2824) Tucson, AZ 85724-5044 USA : } : (FAX: 520-626-2097) (email: dcromey-at-ccit.arizona.edu) : } :...................................................................: } http://www.pharm.arizona.edu/exp_path.html
Greetings, I have had many replies to my earlier posting about "flat bottom beem capsules". Thanks one and all.
1) There was a little confusion about "beem" capsules that have the normal cone truncated into a kind of flat pyramid. This is not what I was asking about. Instead, I use capsules with a completely flat bottom, as if you turned the capsule upside down, and used its top for a flat surface (see point two).
2) Several respondents weighed in with methods for do-it-your-self solutions. For example, you can work with a normal "beem" capsule, snap the top on, run a strip of parafilm or wax around the top and turn it upside down. Or, you can cut off the conical bottom and put an extra top on the "bottom", again sealing with wax or parafilm. If just a few samples are needed, these methods are great, and we used to use them. But we process dozens of samples a week (many weeks) and so all of this fabrication is a drag.
3) It was suggested that capsules can be avoided altogether by using flat embedding molds on top of which a second mold is placed, cavity side up, which acts as an air-tight but uv transmittable barrier on top of the samples.
4) Flat bottom polythene capsules, similar if not identical to the ones from TAAB, are now sold by Ted Pella. Energy Beem Sciences apparantly also can get them. EMS and SPI sell vials, perhaps the same as used for holding em grids, that are 8mm in diameter, made of polythene, and apparently used widely for flat embedding. I have no connection with any of these companies other than as a satisfied customer.
Hi, I'm looking for some ideas of possible projects at the master's degree level in SEM microscopy. Areas of primary interest would be Materials Science/Engineering, Environmental, and Biological/Medical. I know this is an incredibly diverse area. I'd just like to hear some brainstorming type ideas on things you may have wanted to see investigated, but time/money/etc. restraints don't allow it. I would be happy to either post a summary or keep from posting any suggestions as you prefer.
Dear Aspiring TEMists- 'Just thought I'd share this class info with you, should anyone be interested; I took it last summer and found it a worthwhile intro class!
FALL 1996 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT - Transmission Electron Microscopy (BIO. 221-E2)
NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A fifteen week, fall 1996 semester, course in Biological Transmission Electron Microscopy is being offered by the Biology Department of Nassau Community College. This is a 4 credit course offered ONE EVENING PER WEEK, Thursdays, starting at 5:30pm. Classes will begin on Sept. 5 and end on Dec. 12, 1996.
This is a "hands-on" course emphasizing biological specimen preparation, ultra-thin sectioning involving block trimming, glass knifemaking and operation of the ultramicrotomes (Sorvall MT-2B and LKB Ultrotome III), thick and ultra-thin section mounting and contrast staining (UA and Pb citrate), grid support films (formvar, carbon), student operation of the TEM (Hitachi HS-8, Philips EM 300) and production of electron micrographs through the process of black & white photography, and electron micrograph analysis. Students will work on a chosen sample(s) with the goal of producing a portfolio of high quality TEM photomicrographs of that sample(s).
The course is widely transferrable and the cost per credit is reasonable at $78 per credit.
More information about the Bio-Imaging Center at NCC, course descriptions and syllabi, and the humble beginnings of a student gallery of EM photomicrographs is available at our recently completed web site. The URL is {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} . Any comments or suggestions on the homepage would be appreciated - I'm somewhat new at this!
For those without www access, the catalog description is specified below. If you have further questions, you should e-mail me directly at the address below.
Interested individuals should register early (prior to Aug. 15) since the course is limited to a total enrollment of ten (10) students. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____
CATALOG DESCRIPTION BIO 221: Transmission Electron Microscopy -- 4 credits Prerequisites: BIO 109-110 or equivalent, CHE 151-152 or equivalent. An introduction to the basic principles of transmission electron microscopy including tissue preparation, microscope (TEM) operation, black & white photography, and micrograph interpretation. The entire laboratory is devoted to the development of skills and preparative techniques involved with the operation of an actual transmission electron microscope. (3 lecture, 3 laboratory hours). Laboratory fee applies. ________________________________________________________________________________
Stephen J. Beck Bio-Imaging Center/Electron Microscopy Department of Biology Nassau Community College Garden City, NY 11530 Voice Mail: (516) 572-7829 Email: {becks-at-sunynassau.edu} URL: {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm}
} Robert and all, } } In my experience, the "high mag jaggies" are most often caused by a } mechanical vibration. Often the roughing pump is the problem. Sometimes } a couple of tennis balls under the roughing pump will decrease the effect } substantially. It's not always this simple though. Also check for cables } touching the vacuum line from the RP. They can transmit these vibes. } } John
About a year ago we had an intermittent "high mag jaggies" problem on our 6300. Viewed at TV rate at } 50,000x the interference seemed to have a fairly high frequency and underwent rapid variations in amplitude. Some days it was there and other days it wasn't. It was indeed caused by a mechanical vibration -- but in our case it was coming from the stage motors, in particular the Z-axis motor. The effects of this vibration only started to become visible above about 15-20,000x, and it could only just be felt on some days by very lightly touching the motor once you already "knew it had a vibration". Our Jeol engineer was the one who finally figured this out and then he measured a ~2 volt sawtooth ripple on top of the DC holding current to the stage motors. The problem was eliminated by changing some resistors in the (non-Jeol) motor driver hardware, on the recommendation of its vendors, to reduce the DC holding current and hence presumably the absolute magnitude of the ripple that came with it. We have not had any trouble since.
Arthur Day, Electron Microscope Unit http: //www.ansto.gov.au/ Ansto Materials Division Phone: 61-2-717-3457 PMB 1, Menai (Sydney), NSW, 2234 Fax: 61-2-543-7179 Australia Email: ard-at-atom.ansto.gov.au
Back when I was young, I tried measuring the rate of freezing of a thin slice of tissue against a metal mirror surface at liquid nitrogen temp using the quick freeze device now sold commercially as the "gentleman jim". (for a description of the machine but not the freezing rate studies, see Phillips & Boyne, J. Electron Microscopy Techniques 1:9-29 (1984). I built a head for the tissue to rest on that had two electrodes on the bottom surface. the slot in the head on which the tissue was placed was 195 um deep and I used 300 um slides of tissue (liver or electrocytes). the tissue completed the circuit and allowed current from a 6 V source to flow. I added a 5.5 K ohm resister in series and measured a 1-2 V drop across the resister so the tissue was presumably acting as a 6-10 K ohm. when the tissue hit the metal mirror, the signal decreased continuously from the moment of impact.. there was good reproducibility between slices. the total event lasted approx. 2-300 msec with about 30% of the decay in the initial 25 msec. even the initial 25 msec was biphasic with a very flat response and a relatively slower decay. Heuser and Reese used an alternative technique using capacitance. I think this material was included as an appendix in their classic J Cell Biol (1979) 81:280 paper. When I read that paper, I had problems with their assumptions (I am doing this from a 15 year old memory, so I hope I don't have this wrong). They assumed after the first molecular layer had frozen, the tissue could be viewed as 2 dielectrics in series, one water dielectric and one ice. My problem with this is that I viewed the ice as a dielectric and the saline (unfrozen tissue) above as an extension of the copper electrode and therefore I thought the saline was in fact acticing as the upper "plate" of a capacitor. I seem to remember another problem with the maximum breakdown voltage of a dielectric requires a very low applied voltage at the frequencies Heuser et al (and Van Harreveld in earlier studies) had used in their studies and I am not sure their studies took that into account. It has been a long time since I thought about this but if you want more specifics on what I did or read the Heuser paper and have questions about my critique, I will try to figure out my old notes. good luck.
Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Director, Molecular Cytology Core Facility 3 Tucker Hall University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 (314)-882-4712 (voice) (314)-882-0123 (fax)
Mr-Received: by mta SRVR05.MUAS; Relayed; Thu, 01 Aug 1996 10:13:09 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta SRVR05; Relayed; Thu, 01 Aug 1996 10:13:11 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta SRVR01; Relayed; Thu, 01 Aug 1996 10:17:09 -0400 Disclose-Recipients: prohibited MSA MICROSCOPY MAILING LIST {MICROSCOPY-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com} Message-Id: {8209131001081996/A27033/SRVR05/11A80A8D0800*-at-MHS} Autoforwarded: false Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Importance: normal Priority: normal Ua-Content-Id: 11A80A8D0800 X400-Mts-Identifier: [;8209131001081996/A27033/SRVR05] Hop-Count: 2
For years, I have taken BEEM capsules, cut the tapered end off with a razor blade, and embedded tissue flat on the 'lid'. After curing the blocks, removing them is easy with a 'cherry pitter' device, which in one catalog the BEEM Company refers to as a 'capsule press'. To remove the cured blocks, simply open the 'lid' of the capsule where the tissue is, place it tissue-side down in the press, and press down on the lever to extricate the block. I find it hard to believe that this is an original idea, but hopefully it will help some of you with flat-embedding dilemmas.
Gregg Sobocinski Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research Division Ann Arbor, Michigan USA Sobocig-at-aa.wl.com
*** And I'm sure the lawyers would be happy if I include: The views expressed above are my individual opinions and do not represent the views or policies of Parke-Davis.
} We want also to use electron } diffraction on the TEM Philips 420 and to connect CCD or TV camera to } microscop in the near future. And there are some problems to solve. } } Please, I have a few questions. } } 1. Is there some difference in el. diffraction images obtained by } different way? I mean: } a/ Normal image is loaded by camera to PC and the diffraction is } obtained by computer.
There are several limitations to resolution using this method. A video camera has a limited pixel size and number--larger and fewer than film--so the Fourier components are inherently fewer than for scanned film. This may or may not be a problem. The intensities are also of limited range, giving possible inaccuracies, and the intensity at one pixel can affect that measured at adjacent pixels. Of course, the contrast transfer function also affects the intensities. Finally, the resolution is limited by the lens aberrations (assuming that pixel size does not impose a more stringent limit). It is, however, very fast.
} b/ El.diffraction image is loaded on the planfilm and this one is } processed by laser diffraction.
There are some limitations due to lens aberrations and (possibly) grain size. I find typically that this method gives about one more order than the first method. The difference is probably due to the greater sam- pling frequency as a consequence of smaller pixel size.
} c/ El. diffraction is loaded directly by camera and processed by computer.
The resolution limits are usually much better than with the image. In the very favorable cases, ED can go out to at least 0.05 nm. There can be problems with intensity quantitation due to pixel size and crossover be- tween pixels. The first problem is called "Wooster error"; Inoue's book on video microscopy explains the second type of problem.
} d/ El. diffraction is loaded on the planfilm and this one is scanned } to computer and processed by computer.
Resolution is equally good, but accurate quantitation requires sensitometry--measuring a blackening curve (OD vs exposure)--which can be tedious. The correct scanner to use is one with a small spot of light, such as the Perkin-Elmer or Optronics. CCD array scanners, such as Eikonix or CCD cameras will not account correctly for very intense spots due to stray light from more transparent areas of the film. This is the most accurate method, and the slowest.
} } 2. Exist some camera /CCD or TV/, by which it is possible to load el. } diffraction images directly?
Yes. I have seen Ken Downing's camera on the IVEM at Berkeley.
/ I'am afraid that very intensive main } beam can destroy the detector/
A beam stop can be used to block the beam--I don't know what the consequences are if the beam is not blocked, but I'd be worried too. Yours, Bill Tivol
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-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
Twice in the past twenty six years we had mysterious problems arise that had all the symptoms of stray AC fields which caused various problems with the images on what were then JEOL JSM U3 SEMs. In one instance in particular, quite a bit of major equipment was brought in (and dollars spent) to find the source of the field but to no avail. The proposed "fixes", and with no guarantees, included extensive "mu" metal shielding of the microscope room.
However, by going around and turning off individual circuits in the building, and finding out which "circuit", when "off" caused the problem to go away, in one instance it was traced to a ground feedback loop from a vacuum pump with windings starting to fail. And in the other instance , which was a little more challenging, it was traced to a compressor motor that was part of the microscope itself, with (apparently) the same problem, windings starting to fail on the motor. In both instances, replacing the failing motor (or pump), the problem disappared.
So while expensive and complex solutions are sometimes necessary, don't sell short what might be accomplished with the good old common horse sense approach.
Chuck
====================================================== Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. Ph: 1-(610)-436-5400 President 1-(800)-2424-SPI SPI SUPPLIES FAX: 1-(610)-436-5755 PO BOX 656 e-mail: GVKM07A-at-prodigy. com West Chester, PA 19381-0656 USA Customer Service: spi2spi-at-2spi. com
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Comments: Authenticated sender is {wesleysm-at-biology.und.ac.za}
Hello Tom Thanks a stack for the information. It certainly gives me a good starting point. I am intersted in acquiring a data collecting card, and they obviously vary in speed and frequency of the sampling (and price). I just wish I could keep this sort of information in MY head for 15 years!!
Thanks again.
################################################### James Wesley-Smith Electron Microscope Unit George Campbell Building University of Natal Durban, South Africa http://www.und.ac.za/und/emu/emunit.html ###################################################
unsuscribe Karl Kadler, PhD, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Electron Microscope Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Stopford Biulding 2.205, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PTAssistant: Carol McMurdo (cmcmurdo-at-fs2.scg.man.ac.uk)
Sometimes these field effects can be very strange and challenging. Years ago, when I was at Temple Univ. Medical School, in Philadelphia, a colleague in the building had a recently installed Philips 300 TEM that suffered from intermittent image deflection. Things were all right most of the time, but occasionally the image would be deflected off to the side for a time, and would then return to its normal position. The Philips service personnel tried everything, but the cause remained a mystery. It eventually turned out that an elevator in the vicinity had a large iron counterweight that went up and down the shaft all day long. The image deflection occurred when this magnetized mass of iron happened to be at the same level as the microscope.
A. Kent Christensen, University of Michigan, akc-at-umich.edu.
****************************************************************************** Jun Wang g9326479-at-mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca Center for Electroptical Materials And Devices/Dept. of Engineering Physics Tel. 905 525 9140 x24936 McMaster University Fax: 905 527 8409 Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8S 4L7
I fully agree with Chuck Garber. A few common sense tests can often clear up the cause of image irregularities without invoking a lot of expensive high-tech methods. We had one instance when the heating element in a furnace in a lab down the hall had shorted over to ground, producing horrendous ground loop currents through the heating ducts and steel girders in the walls of the building that gave periodic image distortion. In another instance, an educational TV station was feeding signals into the building mains that caused problems.
However, if all else fails, there is a company (Linear Research Associates, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Fx: 770-368-8256) that specializes in correcting EM field problems. In fact, Curt Dunham, of LRA has recently published a series of articles on EM field problems in "Microscopy Today". You might contact him.
As the operator of a well used Etec, I have encountered worn and loose gears/bearings in the stage. Enviro vibes, which normally did not create a problem, caused "jaggies" as low as 5000x.
Etec FYI: My system has been modified by removing the diff pump and installing a turbo. Beware of ball bearing units. The Etec is far too susceptible to their vibrations. I have been using a Leybold maglev pump since they became available and can see no pump induced vibes below about 30Kx.
Woody White Babcock & Wilcox Research Ctr. woody.n.white-at-mcdermott.com
} Date: Thu, 1 Aug 1996 16:38:59 +0200 } From: James Wesley-Smith {wesleysm-at-biology.und.ac.za} } To: microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com } Subject: Measuring freezing rates } } I would appreciate to hear from anyone who has had experience in } RECORDING freezing rates used in cryofixation. I am particularly } interested in establishing the duration and interval of the sampling } required. } } Please reply directly to my address. } } Thank you. } } } ################################################### } James Wesley-Smith } Electron Microscope Unit } George Campbell Building } University of Natal } Durban, South Africa } http://www.und.ac.za/und/emu/emunit.html } ################################################### Try contacting Dr.Joe Costello at Dept. of Cell Biology University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Sorry, I don't have an email address.
For faster answers, you might also check your library. He has published info on rates of freezing in different cryogens; he may have described the methods for measuring them. It was probably in the late 1980's.
Another possibility is to contact the companies that sell freezing equipment such as slammers, etc. They should be able to give you some references on "how they know their product works."
Good luck, S.}
Sara E. Miller, Ph. D. P. O. Box 3020 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 Ph: 919 684-3452 FAX: 919 684-8735
I am new to the listserver and have missed any recent discussion of print processors. We are likely to buy one in the near future and would appreciate comments on what people have and like.
I really liked the old Kodak print processors. They were very fast, easy to use, relatively easy to clean, and had a small footprint on the benchtop. But they are no longer available as far as I can tell. The new ones that I have looked into all seem to be designed for professional labs. Although the prints come out completely fixed and dry, they take a relatively long time which is a pain for test prints. Ours will get moderate and sporadic use so cleaning out the chemicals should be easy.
Thanks in advance. jmo
------------------------------------------------ Judith Mosinger Ogilvie, Ph.D. Assistant Research Scientist Central Institute for the Deaf -affiliate of Washington University- 818 S. Euclid Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 tel: 314-977-0280 fax: 314-977-0030 e-mail: jmo-at-cidmac.wustl.edu ------------------------------------------------
Subject: Time: 11:49 AM OFFICE MEMO RE:O-ring sizes Date: 8/2/96
Phil: I have always used O-rings in the Parker Series 2 that I obtain from the Zatkoff Co. in Farmington Hills, MI (313-478-2400). These are based on 'nominal' widths which are common fractions of an inch; however, actual widths don't correspond exactly to the nominal ones, and there is some variation probably due to manufacturing variability (it's difficult to measure O-rings exactly, anyway). Here are some of the standard nominal sizes with the quoted corresponding actual dimensions: Nom: 1/16": Act: 1.78 mm, 0.70" 3/32": 2.62 mm, 0.103" 1/8": 3.53 mm, 0.139" 3/16": 5.33 mm, 0.210" 1/4": 6.99 mm, 0.275" For each thickness there is a range of ID sizes available. I have just been designing a couple of devices for Japanese-built TEMs (which one might expect to have metric O-rings, since all other dimensions are metric), and find that all the O-rings used on them fall into this series pretty nicely. Possibly you also can find O-rings from this series that will meet your needs. Zatkoff stocks them in Viton, and several other kinds of rubber. Good luck, Wil Bigelow (bigelow-at-umich.edu)
Vibration can be a nasty problem. You can't assume they are coming from your area. When I was at George Washington Univ. Med School my lab was on the 5th. floor. Never had problems with vibration until one day I was looking at cilia at 200,000 times and saw it. Zeiss came in to look at the scope and the surrounding area and couldn't find what was causing the problem. They saw vibration only when they put the meter on the desk of the scope. Put it on the floor, no vibration detectable. We looked at another TEM on the floor below us and they had no problem even at 300,000x. After much hunting we found a air handling unit 2 floors below us and about 100ft. away from the scope with a bad rubber foot pad. We had the physical plant dept. replace it and our vibration problem disappeared. Apparently this was causing low level vibration that my scope was picking up and the other scope (floor below) wasn't. Vibration, especially low level can be anywhere, construction several blocks away, bad feet on a centrifuge, new equipment, just about anything. So if you're having a problem with vibration check everything you can, don't rule anything out unless you've checked it out, this includes anything touching your mechanical pumps such as cables, hoses or even boxes you might have set on the backing hoses.
} } Hi, I'm looking for some ideas of possible projects at the master's } degree level in SEM microscopy. Areas of primary interest would be } Materials Science/Engineering, Environmental, and Biological/Medical. I } know this is an incredibly diverse area. I'd just like to hear some } brainstorming type ideas on things you may have wanted to see } investigated, but time/money/etc. restraints don't allow it. I would be } happy to either post a summary or keep from posting any suggestions as } you prefer. } } Thanks in advance for your ideas. } } } Jill }
One thing to consider is JOBS -
The market for biological microscopists is fairly bad right now and the salaries for the jobs that are out there aren't much better.
On the other hard the job market in materials microscopy seems to be much better and the salaries are probably much higher.
No doubt some on the list won't agree with me on this but we would all be better off if the number of skilled microscopists out there was cut. And, the easiest way to do that is to stop training 'em.
I am planning to buy a reconditioned ultramicrotome (since I don't have enough money available for a new unit) and diamond knife in hopes of producing TEM specimens of leached glass. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone the "used instrument" route to ultramicrotomy of hard materials. What kind of success did you have? Are there things to look out for? etc. Thanks in advance. Andy Buechele The Catholic University of America 409 Hannan Hall Washington, D.C. 20064 (202) 319-4995 FAX: (202) 319-4469
} Date: Fri, 02 Aug 1996 16:47:36 } To: rutledge phil {prutle1-at-gl.umbc.edu} } From: "A. Greene" {ablue-at-mail.io.com} } Subject: Re: O-Rings } } Hello Phil, I have been very pleased with American Seal, Inc. as a source for o-rings. They are very responsive and have even overnighted o-rings to my motel when I was out doing microscope service. Great people and excellent stock. Their address is: 1242 Kress Street } Houston, Texas 77020 } Phone 800/527-3151 } FAX 713/675-3618 } } } Alex Greene } Scientific Instrumentation Services, Inc. } Number 499, Post Office Box 19400 } Austin, Texas 78760 } Phone: 512/282-5507 } FAX 512/280-0702 } } } At 02:36 PM 8/1/96 -0400, you wrote: } } I was wondering if anybody knows of a supplier of o-rings in the metric size. } } The suppliers I have dealt with here in Baltimore only have stock of even } } size o-rings such as 2mm, 3mm, etc. I need a supplier that can provide } } fractional sizes also such as, 2.3mm, 2.5mm, etc. I am more concerned } } about the width of the o-ring being fractional than I am of the I.D. or O.D. } } All of the o-rings I use are in whole numbers as far as the O.D. and I.D. } } goes. Thanx. } } } } O.D.O's } } } } Phil } } } } }
} Date: Fri, 02 Aug 1996 16:47:36 } To: rutledge phil {prutle1-at-gl.umbc.edu} } From: "A. Greene" {ablue-at-mail.io.com} } Subject: Re: O-Rings } } Hello Phil, I have been very pleased with American Seal, Inc. as a source for o-rings. They are very responsive and have even overnighted o-rings to my motel when I was out doing microscope service. Great people and excellent stock. Their address is: 1242 Kress Street } Houston, Texas 77020 } Phone 800/527-3151 } FAX 713/675-3618 } } } Alex Greene } Scientific Instrumentation Services, Inc. } Number 499, Post Office Box 19400 } Austin, Texas 78760 } Phone: 512/282-5507 } FAX 512/280-0702 } } } At 02:36 PM 8/1/96 -0400, you wrote: } } I was wondering if anybody knows of a supplier of o-rings in the metric size. } } The suppliers I have dealt with here in Baltimore only have stock of even } } size o-rings such as 2mm, 3mm, etc. I need a supplier that can provide } } fractional sizes also such as, 2.3mm, 2.5mm, etc. I am more concerned } } about the width of the o-ring being fractional than I am of the I.D. or O.D. } } All of the o-rings I use are in whole numbers as far as the O.D. and I.D. } } goes. Thanx. } } } } O.D.O's } } } } Phil } } } } }
We are teaching microscopy and I want to make discussion groups for each of my classes using the internet. I would appreciate anyone's experience (good and bad) in the software they have used and problems that I might encounter. Thanks in advance Judy M.
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
Workshop Objective This course will cover all aspects of pre-thinning and focus on final thinning via Tripod Polishing. Due to the limited class size and the extensive hands-on opportuinities, this course is well suited to novices as well as advanced Tripodders. The course will include sections on:
How to do it and why should I? What's really going on and what am I really seeing? How to prepare small, specific area cross-sections. The problem of wildly differing materials (eg tungsten). Rapid preparation of TEM cross-sections. Preparation of a wide range of materials: semiconductors, ceramics, metals,...
Hands-on Opportunity This course will be unique in that it will provide a hands-on opportunity for every class participant. Tripod Polishers, Polishing Wheels, and pre-thinning equipment will be made available to all participants and actual samples will be prepared - by the students - as part of the course. This is a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and actually learn by doing. The instructors will walk you through each step of the process and then let you loose on the equipment. This course is designed to teach the Tripod Polishing technique. Silicon samples will be provided to the students and used as the basis for the course teaching.
Workshop Location and Dates South Bay Technology - San Clemente, CA Dates: Friday & Saturday - October 18-19, 1996
Previous Participants (partial list) INTEL, AMD, Motorola, LSI Logic, Conner Peripherals, Univ of Maryland, Univ of New Mexico, UNAM (Mexico), LG Electronics (Korea), Battelle, MEMC, MVA Inc., Univ of Michigan, U.S. Bureau of Mines, IBM, Naval Research Lab, Purdue Univ, Univ of Alabama, Univ of Arizona, Univ of Colorado, Univ of Wisconsin.
Class Size Due to the intensive hands-on aspects of this course, class size will be strictly limited to 10 participants.
Registration Fee: $795 (includes lunches and Friday night Dinner) $695 if registration fee paid by August 31, 1996 Workshop
Registration Deadline: 30 days prior to workshop
For additional Information: Monica Pflaster South Bay Technology, Inc. 1120 Via Callejon San Clemente, CA 92673 TEL: 800-728-2233 FAX: 714-492-1499 e-mail: sbt-at-southbaytech.com
Registration Form
To register for the workshop, please fill out this form and send it, with registration fee to:
South Bay Technology, Inc. Workshop on Tripod Polishing 1120 Via Callejon San Clemente, CA 92673 USA
Payment must be made in the form of a check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Checks must be drawn on a U.S. Bank and made payable to South Bay Technology, Inc. Credit card orders by FAX may be sent to South Bay Technology at 714-492-1499.
first of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Dr. Wolfgang Gottschalk (osramwg-at-aol.com) and I am the productmanager at OSRAM GMBH headquarters for HBO and low wattage XBO lamps. Last week it has come to my attention, that several people had problems with lamps from our company. Customers satisfaction is our goal and therefore we want to fix existing problems as soon as they have been reported to us and also to support customers if the problem is related to non-OSRAM equipment. However up to now, only two cases have been reported to us. Therefore I like to ask everybody, who had problems with our lamps to report this to me directly. It will help us for the investigation to have the following information:
1.) What was the problem? 2.) What type of lamp was it related to? 3.) In what type of equipment do you use our lamps? Is it modified? 4.) What was the serial number of the lamp (imprinted on the metal base)? 5.) To whom and when did you report the problem (local OSRAM office or mircoscope equipment manufacturer)?
Please adress this information to me as soon as possible. We will provide statements on the evaluation process in the microscopy list. Please feel free to contact me in the future directly in case of any question or problems. We feel, that an honest relationsship between manufacturer and the customer is a win-win -relationship for both parties.
I sent out a general request for information on setting up discussion groups for my classes on the internet the other day however from my responses I made the question too general, so here is a try at making it more specific:
We are teaching microscopy and I want to make discussion groups for each of my classes using the internet. Each of the discussion groups would have a password. Having this on the internet would allow all the students in the classes to get into the discussion whenever they wanted. They would also be using the internet for research searches, etc. I would also like a way to post class assignments etc, i.e. some sub group which the students don't necessarily add anything to.
I would appreciate anyone's experience (good and bad) in the software they have used and problems that I might encounter. Thanks in advance Judy M.
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
We are teaching microscopy and I want to make discussion groups for each of my classes using the internet. I would appreciate anyone's experience (good and bad) in the software they have used and problems that I might encounter. Thanks in advance Judy M.
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
Michael Folsom recently wrote: One thing to consider is JOBS -
The market for biological microscopists is fairly bad right now and the salaries for the jobs that are out there aren't much better.
On the other hard the job market in materials microscopy seems to be much better and the salaries are probably much higher.
No doubt some on the list won't agree with me on this but we would all be better off if the number of skilled microscopists out there was cut. And, the easiest way to do that is to stop training 'em. End of Mr. Folsoms reply.
To Mr. Folsoms reply: I apologize in advance to the subscribers of this listserver for responding to an issue of this nature, but your response is disgusting, Mr. Folsom.
In my view the Scanning Electron Microscope has been one of the primary instruments contributing to the advancement of our economy, technology, and the ability to raise the standard of living for all people. Advancing the utilization of the SEM into new areas of research is essential to our future. We need more people trained in the fundamental physics which govern the limitations and possibilities for this instrument. We also need people to excercize their imagination with respect to the huge number of problems the SEM can be utilized to solve.
I need some information to general procedures w.r.t. prep. to specimens to be studied under either TEM or SEM techinques. Can anyone help me with me in this regard, as I am relative new to some of these procedures.
Basically I would like to any new techniques used to prepare specimens for SEM and TEM.
} } Michael Folsom recently wrote: } } One thing to consider is JOBS - } } } } The market for biological microscopists is fairly bad right now and the } } salaries for the jobs that are out there aren't much better. } } } } On the other hard the job market in materials microscopy seems to be } } much better and the salaries are probably much higher. } } } } No doubt some on the list won't agree with me on this but we would all } } be better off if the number of skilled microscopists out there was cut. } } And, the easiest way to do that is to stop training 'em. } End of Mr. Folsoms reply. } } To Mr. Folsoms reply: } I apologize in advance to the subscribers of this listserver for } responding to an issue of this nature, but your response is disgusting, } Mr. Folsom. } } In my view the Scanning Electron Microscope has been one of the primary } instruments contributing to the advancement of our economy, technology, } and the ability to raise the standard of living for all people. } Advancing the utilization of the SEM into new areas of research is } essential to our future. We need more people trained in the } fundamental physics which govern the limitations and possibilities for } this instrument. We also need people to excercize their imagination with } respect to the huge number of problems the SEM can be utilized to solve. } } Ultimately this will create more jobs. } } Respectfully } John W. Best.
I'm really not interested in letting this whole thing get personal -
I posted my reply because I thought a discussion about the job market for microscopists would be a good thing.
A few thoughts late Sunday night..................
First, let's deal with the real - not the ideal. The simple fact is that all kinds of wonderful microscopy needs to be done ranging from basic paraffin work to SEM, TEM, & LSCM. However, that doesn't mean that the system is gonna provide the funds or opportunity to do the work.
Hasn't anybody noticed that microscopy labs are being closed down or simply allowed to decay all over the place. At a time when all kinds of incredible technological developments are occurring in biological microscopy it seems to be dying right before our eyes.
To blindly advise a student to follow us into the abyss is immoral. The job market in the sciences stinks. And, as I hear it - its worse in Physics than in Biology. So, what do we gain by telling somebody to "follow us" when we can't even see a future for ourselves. Isn't this the ultimate act of selfishness? To advise a student to "do what we did" and not care about their future? Are they just sacrifical lambs on the alter of science? A cheap and willing pair of hands to exploit for our personal good? Should they be told to give up all matter of things for an uncertain future - all in the cause of science!
Can't we do better than that?
Frankly, there will always be the need for a good microscopist to be handy. But as a technician - not as a collegue. In a University setting that automatically means a second class citizen with a third rate pay scale. Why should we wish that on our students, our young collegues?
As, I said earlier I posted my original reply to start a discussion. We really have no need for silly polemics.
Message-Id: {1.5.4.32.19960805094453.0066cce4-at-mail.pi.se} X-Sender: o906001-at-mail.pi.se X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
subscribe henrik.fermin-at-fujifilm.se **************************************************************************** Henrik Fermin Phone: + 46 (08) 729 14 57 FUJI FILM SVERIGE AB Technical Manager BAS Fax: + 46 (08) 33 71 29 Box 23086 Medical Imaging System Dept. 104 35 Stockholm SWEDEN
I need some information to general procedures w.r.t. prep. to specimens to be studied under either TEM or SEM techinques. Can anyone help me with me in this regard, as I am relative new to some of these procedures.
Basically I would like to any new techniques used to prepare specimens for SEM and TEM.
Although hypertext provides for microscopy the attractive benefit of combining images with text, nothing useful for discussion groups is yet available. This summary comes from the following URLs:
"Update Notes for Conferencing on the Web" http://freenet.msp.mn.us/~drwool/webconup.html.
A large list of free and commercial resources with short evaluations and demo sites are at:
"Computer Conferencing on the Web (Discussion Forums and Groupware)" http://freenet.msp.mn.us/~drwool/webconf.html#wbb
Does anyone has experience with any of the programs cited in the above URs? Best regards, Klaus
******************* } I want to make discussion groups for each of my } classes using the internet. Each of the discussion groups would have a } password. Having this on the internet would allow all the students in the } classes to get into the discussion whenever they wanted. They would also be } using the internet for research searches, etc. I would also like a way to } post class assignments etc, i.e. some sub group which the students don't } necessarily add anything to. ******************
****************************************************************************** * Klaus-Ruediger Peters, Ph.D. :Molecular Imaging Laboratory * * Director, Molecular Imaging Laboratgory : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Biomolecular Structure Analysis Center : htklaus/index.html * * University of Connecticut Health Center : * * 263 Farmington Ave. :F r e e Access to Differential * * Farmington, CT 06030-2017; U.S.A :Contrast Software at * * e-Mail: Peters-at-BSAC.UCHC.EDU : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Tel: (860) 679-3977; Fax: (860) 679-1989 : htklaus/DHP-Img.html#Software* ******************************************************************************
Qualifications: A PhD in Materials Science/Physics or related area. Strong experimental and conceptual background in interface structure and crystal defect phenomena, especially in oxide materials is necessary. Experience in oxide superconductors is desirable but not required. Extensive hands-on experience in advanced analytical EM (XES, EELS, CBED etc..) is a must, including TEM specimen preparation of complex oxides, especially cross-sections of thin films. The position is a part of a multi-faceted research program concerned with structure-property correlation for oxide interfaces. The research would involve experimental and phenomenological studies of oxide interfaces in electroceramics, including high Tc compounds and ferroelectric thin films. The principal theme is to exploit high spatial resolution analytical techniques to probe the crystallography, chemistry and aspects of electronic structure associated with internal interfaces in these functional materials to complement ongoing atomistic simulation and ab-initio electronic structure calculations of interfaces. Instrumentation available at NU in the newly restructured Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC) includes: A Hitachi HF-2000 FEG TEM/STEM with x-ray, EELS, in-situ IV/LHe holder and e- holography set-up, a Hitachi S4500-II FEG SEM with x-ray, EBSP/OIM and LHe stage with in-situ IV probes, a Hitachi H8100 cTEM, and access to various other TEMs/SEMs and other analytical instrumentation.
The position is open immediately for at least one year, and renewable upon mutual consent. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity employer.
******************************************************* (Vinayak P. Dravid) Associate Professor, Materials Science & Engineering Director, Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC) 2225 N. Campus Drive, MLSF Building Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA Ph.: (847) 467-1363, Fax: (847) 491-7820 E-mail: v-dravid-at-nwu.edu *******************************************************
} } John W. Best recently wrote: } } In my view the Scanning Electron Microscope has been one of the primary } instruments contributing to the advancement of our economy, technology, } and the ability to raise the standard of living for all people. } Advancing the utilization of the SEM into new areas of research is } essential to our future. We need more people trained in the } fundamental physics which govern the limitations and possibilities for } this instrument. We also need people to excercize their imagination with } respect to the huge number of problems the SEM can be utilized to solve. } } Ultimately this will create more jobs.
} } Michael Folsom recently wrote: } } First, let's deal with the real - not the ideal. The simple fact is that } all kinds of wonderful microscopy needs to be done ranging from basic } paraffin work to SEM, TEM, & LSCM. However, that doesn't mean that } the system is gonna provide the funds or opportunity to do the work. } } Hasn't anybody noticed that microscopy labs are being closed down or simply } allowed to decay all over the place. At a time when all kinds of incredible } technological developments are occurring in biological microscopy it seems to } be dying right before our eyes. } } To blindly advise a student to follow us into the abyss is immoral. The job } market in the sciences stinks. And, as I hear it - its worse in Physics than } in Biology. So, what do we gain by telling somebody to "follow us" when we } can't even see a future for ourselves. Isn't this the ultimate act of } selfishness? To advise a student to "do what we did" and not care about } their future? Are they just sacrifical lambs on the alter of science? A } cheap and willing pair of hands to exploit for our personal good? Should } they be told to give up all matter of things for an uncertain future - all in } the cause of science! } } Can't we do better than that? } } Frankly, there will always be the need for a good microscopist to be handy. } But as a technician - not as a collegue. In a University setting that } automatically means a second class citizen with a third rate pay scale. Why } should we wish that on our students, our young collegues? }
I would like to throwing in my two cents here:
Real or Ideal? This is a difficult question to answer. It may well be the only question needed to be answered for your life.
So what should we tell these young/bright graduate students? The truth. I belive that every one who has been doing research, either in basic or applied research in any discipline, would agree that it is a very interesting and exciting thing to do. I also believe that the excitment may also be worn out with the increasing pressure to satisfy the "real" need of life. So, new graduate students should be well informed before they make their OWN decision. It's definitely unfair just to tell the one-side story.
I am still tring to find a balance between "real" and "ideal".
Nothing personal was intended, and I certainly didn't imply that students should follow blindly. I simply don't see the present and future of SEM as bleak in the slightest.
Salaries for microscopists might not be what you or I would like them to be. If a student of microscopy derives their feelings of self worth from their salary, then perhaps they shouldn't be looking at microscopy as a profession. On the other hand, the majority of jobs in microscopy are with universities and serious corporations. Perhaps salaries are (arguably) low, but other important benefits are provided.
For now, I'll stick with my opionion that SEM based R&D at the university level will ultimately expand the possibilities for electron beam applications in industry, hence creating more opportunities. Go for it graduate students. You might not want to be a microscopist when you come out into industry, but the SEM will provide you with a unique view of what makes things tick. The understanding that goes along with this vantage point is invaluable to potential employers.
} Can't we do better than that? } } Frankly, there will always be the need for a good microscopist to be handy. } But as a technician - not as a collegue. In a University setting that } automatically means a second class citizen with a third rate pay scale. Why } should we wish that on our students, our young collegues? } } } As, I said earlier I posted my original reply to start a discussion. We } really have no need for silly polemics. } } } Michael
My $0.02: John Best's idealism is laudable and easily defensible. Unfortunately Michael Folsom has a much more realistic view of the world. With one exception: it's the techs who are getting cut. I speak from personal experience, having had 2 jobs now shot out from under me by administrators who are more interested in personal advancement than it serving the university community. The problems of microscopy labs being starved into extinction and closed is very real, and the only things now that prevent it is either lots of press coverage or powerful administrators/full faculty who need microsopy for their own purposes. It all comes down to education: educating administrators, legislators, and faculty about the value and need of all forms of microscopy. Until that happens, Michael Folsom's comments must be taken very seriously. Too many students are being trained without regard for whether or not they will be able to find any position, much less a good one. Phil
&&&&&&&&&&& Illigitmi non carborundum &&&&&&&&&&&
Philip Oshel University of Illinois Rm 74 Bevier Hall 905 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-3145 oshel-at-ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Does anyone know of any good books on how to prepare giardiasis for the electron microscope or on how to prepare a mucosal parasite, or on waterborne parasites? Thanks.
} Mr. Folsom, } } Nothing personal was intended, and I certainly didn't imply that students } should follow blindly. I simply don't see the present and future of SEM } as bleak in the slightest.
Dear Group,
A small point if I may:
What is the time constant for changes in the practitioner/demand ratio for a given profession such as microscopy which has a longish "gestation" or training period ?
Judging from other fields with similar training periods, the cycle is shortest where the variables are strictly economic, such as in the various branches of science, teaching and engineering. However where some organization, the AMA or national bar association for example, twiddles the process through lobbying, propaganda, disinformation in the marketplace, or manipulation of demand for services, it appears that the cycles are much longer, and the swings much deeper.
I vote for letting INFORMED self-interest do the strolling through the yellow pages.
As part of the Microscopy & Microanalysis sponsored Exhibitor Tutorial Program, South Bay Technology will be presenting a tutorial on Tripod Polishing for SEM and TEM Analysis.
South Bay Technology Booth #500
Registration: Please register at the MSA Education Committee Booth on the exhibit floor. There is NO CHARGE for the tutorial.
If you need any additional information about the tutorial, please check the MSA Web Site at:
http://www.msa.microscopy.com
or contact me directly. The first 10 people who confirm their registration by visiting the South Bay Technology booth will receive a FREE Tripod Polisher (r) T-shirt!
Best regards-
David Henriks TEL: 800-728-2233 (toll-free in USA) South Bay Technology, Inc. 714-492-2600 1120 Via Callejon FAX: 714-492-1499 San Clemente, CA 92673 USA e-mail: henriks-at-southbaytech.com http://www.southbaytech.com
Manufacturers of Precision Sample Preparation Equipment and Supplies for Metallography, Crystallography and Electron Microscopy.
I don't believe at all that one must make the choice to "be a microscopist" or "not be a microscopist"; I am currently finishing up my Master's on some applications of a microscopy techneque to certian materials science type problems. This could certianly place me within the catagory of "microscopist" from a number of standpoints, but I have no intention of limiting myself to only one field of work in the future.
I am of the opinion that most people pursuing an advanced degree in materials science should be able to use well such a versitile analytical tool, and know the means behind the information that they are aquiring; otherwise the microscope fails to provide all the information possible, and of the questions that might be profitably asked, some would go unseen. While I believe a good technician can (and should) come up with and answer a number of useful questions for most any sample, it remains impossible to have anyone other than the researcher in question to ask all that should be asked. Furthermore, without a passible working knowledge of the principals of the type of microscopy being employed, the researcher won't even know of the possible methods of answering those questions that emerge during examination.
A minimum requirment would therefore seem to include knowledge of: the vacuum system; beam-sample interactions, especially those that produce exploitable contrast; and the exploitable signals arising from the above. Throw in there rudimentary operation skills for the most common techniques, and one would seem to have a microscopist, if perhaps not of terribly high skill. I would therefore urge anyone in graduate study to at least examine projects dealing with microscopy, as it will likely prove useful later on, and is unlikely to hurt.
Ben Simkin (simkin-at-egr.msu.edu) Dept. Mat. Sci. & Mech. Michigan State University o previously some stuff that has been said included:
} So what should we tell these young/bright graduate students? The truth. I } belive that every one who has been doing research, either in basic or } applied research in any discipline, would agree that it is a very } interesting and exciting thing to do. I also believe that the excitment may } also be worn out with the increasing pressure to satisfy the "real" need of } life. So, new graduate students should be well informed before they make } their OWN decision. It's definitely unfair just to tell the one-side story. } } Vincent } } } Salaries for microscopists might not be what you or I would like them to } be. If a student of microscopy derives their feelings of self worth from } their salary, then perhaps they shouldn't be looking at microscopy as a } profession. On the other hand, the majority of jobs in microscopy are } with universities and serious corporations. Perhaps salaries are } (arguably) low, but other important benefits are provided. } } For now, I'll stick with my opionion that SEM based R&D at the university } level will ultimately expand the possibilities for electron beam } applications in industry, hence creating more opportunities. Go for it } graduate students. You might not want to be a microscopist when you come } out into industry, but the SEM will provide you with a unique view of } what makes things tick. The understanding that goes along with this } vantage point is invaluable to potential employers. } } John Best.
Nothing personal was intended, and I certainly didn't imply that students should follow blindly. I simply don't see the present and future of SEM as bleak in the slightest.
Salaries for microscopists might not be what you or I would like them to be. If a student of microscopy derives their feelings of self worth from their salary, then perhaps they shouldn't be looking at microscopy as a profession. On the other hand, the majority of jobs in microscopy are with universities and serious corporations. Perhaps salaries are (arguably) low, but other important benefits are provided.
For now, I'll stick with my opionion that SEM based R&D at the university level will ultimately expand the possibilities for electron beam applications in industry, hence creating more opportunities. Go for it graduate students. You might not want to be a microscopist when you come out into industry, but the SEM will provide you with a unique view of what makes things tick. The understanding that goes along with this vantage point is invaluable to potential employers.
Regards and Good Luck to all. John Best.
I have been following this string with much interest, but have vowed not to include my opinion; until now. I have been in electron microscopy since the late '60s, both as a graduate student and "technician". For the past 12 years I have taught two TEM and one SEM class per year at the university level, although I am still classified as an EM Technician. Mr. Folsom is correct in his realistic approach to the subject. We all would enjoy working in our "ideal" jobs and "ideal" situations, but those things only exist at Disneyland.
Mr. Best suggests a different occupation if salary is the main concern of the technician. We have all had the dream of being involved in the research which will improve the lot of mankind, but try raising a family on the salary of an EM technician and see how long it takes for reality to set in.
In closing, dear graduate students, use electron microscopy as it was intended to be used. It is a high tech tool and should be considered a means to an end, and not the end itself.
A friend of mine has a Durst Laborator S-45 enlarger available for sale. The package includes 4 condenser lenses and 5 Schneider Componon lenses of various focal lengths, as well as point light source.
Please contact me directly for further details. Serious inquiries only.
Microscopy list: Does anyone happen to have a cassette tape transport for a Tracor-Northern NS-880 x-ray analysis system (vintage 1975-1979)? If you do, or know of anyone who does, please contact me directly at smithn-at-uthscsa.edu.
Terri - I think that you'll find the size information that you want at:
http://www.uq.oz.au/nanoworld/images_1.html Although the images don't have scale bars, the image index gives enough info to calculate them, and the micrographs themselves are excellent.
Caroline Schooley Educational Outreach Coordinator, Microscopy Society of America Box 117 Caspar, CA 95420 Phone/FAX (707)964-9460 Email schooley-at-mcn.org
Please respond within the next 30 minutes on source and specs for the latest 4x5 enlarger (Omega, Besseler, etc.) Thanks ********************************************************************* *Cesar D. Fermin, Ph.D \|T|/ Fax (504) 587-7389 * *Tulane Medical School /|M|\ Voice Mail (504) 584-2618 * *Pathology/SL79 \|C|/ Secretary (504) 584-2436 * *New Orleans La 70112-2699 /|*|\ Lab/Techn. (504) 584-2521 * * {Fermin-at-tmc.tulane.edu} ----} Prof. Pathology & Otolaryngology * *http://www1.omi.tulane.edu/departments/pathology/fermin/cdftop.html* *********************************************************************
I have been using fluoronanogold. I aliquoted out the first 0.2ml I received into eppendorf tubes and cryotubes and placed them in a 4 degrees celcius fridge (10 or 20=B5l aliquots). A number of the aliquots have precipitated or completely evaporated or ended up on the lids of the tubes. I have checked that the temperature of the fridge remains constant.
Has anyone got any suggestions for the storage of this antibody?
I'm looking forward to seeing many of you next week at the MSA meeting! I felt guilty for not preparing a poster this year (the data weren't cooperating), so I spent some time putting together a web page, instead. These images are a product of the imaginations of a recently re-met old high-school friend and myself; an eccentric artist and a mad scientist (='MicroAngelo'). We hope to come up with some more fun stuff soon ('SEMantics'). Check it out at http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangelo.html
See you in Minneapolis!
Tina
*************************************************************************** * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * *************************************************************************** http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangelo.html
I am looking for a system capable of recording moving sceneries shown on a Silicon Graphics workstation display.
My impression is that there are two basic approaches: (1) based on recording the sequence of displayed images over an anolog/digital/anaolog converter to a S-VHS videorecorder, and (2) by burning the digital results after various file-conversions into a CD-ROM.
For practical purposes the S-VHS approach seems to be more practical/faster, although the CD-ROM approach in combination with an interactive CD-player seems to have the future.....
Suggestions on the pros and cons of possibles approaches/systems are very welcome.
------------------------------------------- Dr. Abraham J. Koster Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry Department for Structural Biology Am Klopferspitz 18A, D-82152 Martinsried Germany
I found out that replacing the two Besseler enlarger we now have with current models (except Durst which I do not want) would not add any more functionality, specially for the price of newer models. Thanks to those who responded so quickly. I was given 45 minutes to make a decision on $$$$.
DO NOT FREEZE this material. Just store it in the ffrig. 4 degress is fine. I have used this, provided by Nanaprobes, it works fine, but just like any gold labeled material do not freeze, it knocks the gold off, hence your percip.
Caroline Schooley Educational Outreach Coordinator, Microscopy Society of America Box 117 Caspar, CA 95420 Phone/FAX (707)964-9460 Email schooley-at-mcn.org
A colleague called this morning with questions regarding sectioning non-decalcified rat bone for LM studies. I know I've seen this subject pass through here before, but ignored it because I didn't have to do it...! She has papers that recommend embedding in methacrylate and using a Jung-K sliding microtome with a HK-2 profile tungsten carbide tipped knife. We have not yet been able to locate such a beast here on Oahu, and so we are wondering if a "regular" rotary microtome with a good knife has a chance of doing the job. Do any of you have any recommendations? Will a hardened steel knife do it, or should it, indeed, be a carbide blade? Do rotary microtomes have enough oomph? We are trying to use instruments at hand, as driving over to the next state is not an option...
Thanks in advance, and see you at MSA! Tina
http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangelo.html
*************************************************************************** * Tina (Weatherby) Carvalho * tina-at-pbrc.hawaii.edu * * Biological Electron Microscope Facility * (808) 956-6251 * * University of Hawaii at Manoa * http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu * ***************************************************************************
As most of you all know the annual meeting of Microscopy & Microanalysis will convenes next week in Minneapolis Minnesota (Aug 11-15). For those of you who will not be able to attend or are still hesitating because your not sure that a particuliar symposium or set of papers is of interest to you, let me try to peak your interest on last time. I have arranged for a Low Resolution copy of every abstract of the Meeting to be available On-Line at the Microscopy Society of America WWW Home Page effective immediately. The URL to point your WWW browser to is:
http://www.msa.microscopy.com
The purpose of these on-line access is to provide a simple rapid means of reference to the majority of information in the proceedings and will be presented as either a platform or poster. This on-line access is not meant to replace, but rather to supplement, the Proceedings of the meeting. This is particuliarly important for those microscopists/microanalysts who do not have immediate access to their own or library copies or for the majority of our international colleagues who cannot travel to the meeting at this time.
You may login to the MSA WWW site, and search for papers by author, symosium topic, and/or keywords in the Abstract titles and then view these abstracts on-line. All abstracts were digitized (from photocopies not originals... sorry), OCR'ed and then converted into the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Hot links are provided on the appropriate page so that you may download a FREE copy of the public domain PDF reader program for your flavor of computer.
Please note that these documents are all readable, however there are most definitely OCR errors with most equations superscripts etc... There has been NO attempt to editing of the PDF documents to correct those problems at this time, it is a project to undertake sometime in the future. The quality of the photocopies generally dictated the quality of the OCR software to recognize text. So some manuscripts will have more errors than others. The same holds true for the micrographs.
You will of course be able to procure excellent high resolution, versions of each manuscript by attending the meeting and getting your copy of the proceedings with your registration (there is still time folks you can obviously register on-site)! Alternatively you may order a copy of the proceedings from the Society Business office or our publisher. Information on all of these options is also available on the MSA WWW site.
If your not a member of the society, why not take a moment while your visiting our page and fill out our on-line electronic membership form. It fast , easy and inexpensive! You'll become a member of MSA and receive copies of the Journal and reap a variety of valuable benefits when you become an MSA member.
Hope to see you in Minneapolis, but if you can't be there don't forget to check the MSA Home Page for daily updates on the meeting. We're planning to attempt some novel ways for you to be involved with the meeting even if you cannot be there...
Cheers..... Nestor
Your Friendly Neighborhood SysOp & Microscopy & Microanalysis Program Chair
Comments: Authenticated sender is {vaihihbt-at-mailhost.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de}
Thanks everybody for contributing to the LR White diskussion.
Here is the initial request: * We are only just beginning to use LR White as embedding medium for * use in EM- immunocytochemistry. A manual by AGAR SCIENTIFIC LTD. * distributed through PLANO recommends to bring the specimen from * 70 % EtOH into LR White/70 % EtOH (2:1) before embedding in pure LR * White. We find that this mixture very quickly separates into two * phases. How shall we handle this? * Furthermore the specimen seems to be cured insuffiently even after * 24 hours of polymerisation at 55 C. Any comments on this?
... and this is what I received:
I am having exactly the same experience with LR White and would appreciate seeing the replies. (I have started going to 95% ethanol in order to get good mixing). (Karen Zaruba)
I would like to add another 'complaint' to the list. Plant tissues embedded in LR White show signs of severe plasmolysis. I have broken down the infiltration into 25, 50, 75 and 100% resin/75% EtOH and prolonged the infiltration stages (+- 2 hrs each) but to no avail. By the way, the mixture tends to separate as well! Maybe this is the reason for the shrinkage...? (James Wesley- Smith)
I've used (or rather TRIED to use) LR White for LM but with very little success. I found that the blocks were brittle and didn't stain well with LM stains. Needless to say, I'm not impressed and have stuck to GMA embedding. I understand that the shelf-life for LR White is very short; perhaps that was part of my problem as well as part of yours??? (Delilah W. Irving)
I routinely embed in LRWhite; I always go into 100% EtOH, then some EtOH:LRW mixture (usually 2:1 and then 1:1) before straight resin - I don't quite trust the claim that no further dehydration/infiltration is required. As for curing - we cure at 60C for 36-48 hours; sometimes the surface is still "tacky" at this point, but I embed such that the sample is always away from any possible contact with air, so I can just cut the tacky part away. What kind of molds are you using? Agar capsules, filled and capped, are great for "chunk" samples; we use the old JB-4 molds for cells on coverslips. (Tamara Howard)
We have used LR WHite frequently and just do everythihng the same as if we were using Spurr's resin (use the same dehydration schedule, etc.). THE one thing that we noted that made a big difference in our hands is to polymerize in fully filled gelatin capsules (predried in an oven) and use a temperature controlled block rather than an oven. It seems that our oven did not keep a very close control on temperature. Change over to using a temp block (like one commonly used for restriction digests) solved the problem with poor polymerization. For immunoEM, we polymerize at 50C, but it takes several days(Robin Wright).
The separation is due to the sample not being actually in 70% EtOH when it enters the EtOH:LR White mixture. Remember that the specimen will exchange some water in the 70% step making the final concentration below 70%. We routinely add an 80% EtOH step and have encountered no problems with miscibility. Also the 1:2 mixture is made with 80% EtOH. Insufficient curing could be alleviated by letting the blocks polymerize for another 24h. But if the LR White is older than the printed expiration date on the bottle then that may be the cause too. (Larry Oakford)
You know that LR White needs to be cured in a anarobic atmosphere? right? Any O2 messes it up,` turns to jelly. And in my hands a 70% mixture was misable, I got mine from EMS in Penn. USA. I infiltrated on a rocking table that should keep it "mixed". But in my hands I always dehydrated completly first thru 100% ETOH. then into LR White, first change was short like 1-3 hours then the next was overnight, then cured. I did years of LR white embeding and labeling if any questions, if you think I am help E-mail me at derby-at-pb.net. (Robert J. Derby)
I have been using LR White for some time now and my protocol is as follows. 25% ETOH, 50% ETOH, 70% ETOH, 2x 100% ETOH, 1:1 LR White to 100% ETOH, pure resin. I usually mix 1 ml resin with 1 ml 100% ETOH by using a Pastuer pipet many times slowly until the swirling effect goes away and it is a consistent solution. I then cure for 24 hr at 60 degrees. I have been doing IC with these sections for 6 months and have not had too many problems except some post stain garbage. (Christine Ann Brantner)
For IC of plant tissue, we bring the tissue into 100% EtOH, then 1:3 100% LRWhite: 100% EtOH, then 1:1, then 3:1 then 100% LRWhite. We then change the 100% LRWhite 2-3 times during about 24h infiltration. In other words, we treat it pretty much like Spurr's. You can use acetone or methanol as the dehydrating agent too. I've heard you can leave some water or ethanol in the specimen and still get good embedding, but it's never worked for us - causes soft blocks. We found overnight polymerisation usually sufficient as long as the specimen is well infiltrated and air is excluded. (Rosemary White)
Use 100% alcohol to make your 70%. You may have a more dilute concentration of alcohol than you think. It happened to us. (Rosemary Walsh)
We just bring the specimen from 30--} 50--} 70--} 96--} 100% EtOH into LR White, 3X1 hour, before embedding in pure LR White. 48 hours of polymerisation at 60 C. (Gary Chinga)
The 70% EtOH needs to be made up freshly just before use. Even stored in a tightly stoppered bottle, the concentration of the EtOH seems to decrease. This solved my similar problems. 70% EtOH seems to be the bare mininum that LR White will mix with; as soon as the concentration drops below this there are problems with infiltration, curing and the final blocks are brittle. I keep the LR White in the fridge and use it without warming. All vials are rotated continuously during processing. I embed the tissue in gelatin capsules in a normal embedding oven. I rarely have problems with the blocks, though I must admit I would only use LR White for immuno, never as a replacement for resin. (Diana van Driel)
When using LR White, we dehydrate specimens by passing through a 70, 85, 95 and 100% EtOH serie. After doing this we bring the specimens in EtOH 100% / LR White (1:1) for 60 min before pure resin. The fact that the resin seems to be cured insuffiently does not surprise me at all : I have the same problem, I am working on plant cells and the cell wall does not adhere well to the resin. I am still trying to solve this last point... Good luck (Pascal Veys)
You can use DMF(dimethyl formamide) instead of the ethanol when dehydrating. LR white must be fairly air tight when it is polymerized. The oxygen from the air is enough to cause this problem of poor polymerization. Are you using gelatin caps? Also I gently bubble nitrogen through the LR white to remove any oxygen, then I use it in the final embedding. (Patricia Zerfas)
We have used LR White routinely for a number of years. We find the best results are obtained by dehydrating to 100% Ethanol. The main things to watch out for are keeping the temperature well controlled and excluding oxygen (which can penetrate many commonly used moulds such as BEEM capsules). Excessive brittleness seems to be caused by the embedding temperature being too high (perhaps only a degree or two above 60C). Fresh LR White has a shelf life of 1 year at 4C though we have used older batches occasionally. The major problem with old batches can be premature polymerising. This is not a great problem if it occurs in the bottle but more so if it occurs whilst infiltrating the
sample. Uncatalysed resin, which comes with a powder catalyst, has an almost indefinite shelf life and we make up a fresh bottle of active resin just before the old one runs out. (Ian Hallett)
We have used LR White for over 15 years. The biggest problem that we have is when there is EtOH left in the material before it goes to 100% LRWhite. To take care of that problem we do NOT put a mixture of alcohol and LR Whita before going to pure. We definitely do go to 100%, then 3 changes of pure LR White, then into capsules. The gelatinous mess that results from the EtOH/LR White was never found to polymerize even after 2 yrs., even after try ing to dry it out and all sorts of other manipulations to save a valuable sample. (Judy Murphy)
To the folks discussing embedding in LR White. I routinely embed material in Lrwhite for use in immunocytochemistry experiments. Some solutions to the polymerization problem are to simply extend the polymerization time at 55 degrees or to use the room-temperature cure method by which a catalyst is added to the resin and it cures in about ten minutes or so. I am currently comparing room-temperature and 55 degree cure blocks of the same material (Clarkia stigmas). I have taken 160 serial thick (1 um) sections from each block and see no difference between the blocks in terms of sectioning. For my infiltration, I dehydrate to 100% ethanol with three changes for 15 minutes each. Then I go to a 1/3 LRWHITE:2/3 ETOH mix for 24 hrs, a 2/3 LRWHITE:1/3 ETOH for 24 hrs, a 24 hr 100% LRWHITE, and then a final 6 hr period of infiltration with 100% LRWHITE. For the ETOH/Resin mixes I draw the solution up into the pipette and dispense it back into the vial a few times to mix it initially, for all the infiltration steps I leave the vials on a rotator so that they are constantly being mixed. I have never had problems with infiltration or separation of the resin and solvent. (Michael A. Fremarek)
I routinely used LR White a few years ago for EM immunocytochemistry. It was definately easier to go through 95% EtOH and then into LR White. The most consistent curing was at 50 C under nitrogen. I would evacuate a vacuum oven and then flood the chamber with nitrogen to exclude any oxygen. (Paulette Brunner)
I have done extensive immunochemistry with LRW hard grade using cell monolayers. I always infiltrate to 100% ETOH with a freshly opened bottle. I do a 50:50 LRW : ETOH for a minimum of three hours or overnight, then go to 100% LRW. I have found a 55 oven to be inadequate. I use 58 - 60 oven for two days. If you are using cell cultures permanox solvent resistant petri dishes can be used for the entire procedure, filling to the top and using another bottom to create an anerobic seal. Then sawing your sample out and remounting it. The best immunochemistry text I have found is by Griffiths "Fine Structure Immunocytochemistry" (Shelley Landon Kaurin)
************************************************************** Hans-Martin Vaihinger Ruhr-University of Bochum Comparative Endocrinology Research Section Building ND 5/37 44780 Bochum GERMANY ********************************************************* phone ++49 234 700 4329 fax ++49 234 709 4551 email Hans-Martin.Vaihinger-at-RZ.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de
We needs parts for, or a complete DPA 101 Vacuum control unit for a Balzers 301 freeze etch unit (sale or barter). Also need crystals for QCM (old style). Could be interested in a complete 301unit. Please reply privately to: Tom Reese. } treese-at-mbl.edu {
While I don't have an answer for you, I would suggest that you contact Don Kimmel at Creighton Univ. Unfortunately, I don't have his e-mail - I did call, but he was not in. Anyway, you can reach him at: TEL: 402-280-4470 or FAX: 402-280-5173.
As I recall, he was sectioning rat mandibles that he encapsulated in methyl methacrylate. He sectioned them into 100u slices using our Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saw. I think you could get the slices thinner using our sample rotation attachment for the saw. I know Don was considering this at one point, but I'm not certain if he has pursued it. Anyway, he would be worth talking to. I hope this helps.
Best regards-
David Henriks TEL: 800-728-2233 (toll-free in USA) South Bay Technology, Inc. 714-492-2600 1120 Via Callejon FAX: 714-492-1499 San Clemente, CA 92673 USA e-mail: henriks-at-southbaytech.com http://www.southbaytech.com
Manufacturers of Precision Sample Preparation Equipment and Supplies for Metallography, Crystallography and Electron Microscopy.
Purdue University is offering an intensive, four-day workshop in the basics of cryo-electron microscopy. The course will run from November 3 through November 6 and will include theoretical discussions and hands-on demonstrations in preparing vitrified samples of biological macromolecules. Students will also learn low-dose, phase-contrast imaging procedures and image recording on both film and CCD cameras. An introduction to the methods of image analysis and three-dimensional image reconstruction will also be given. For registration information contact: Susan Umberger, 7136-U, Purdue University, Division of Conferences, 1586 Stewart Center, Room 116, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1586. Phone: 317-494-7217. For course content information see the web site at http://bilbo.bio.purdue.edu/~workshop/ or contact workshop-at-bilbo.bio.purdue.edu. The workshop fee is $1200 US and includes course materials, lunches, a banquet and lodging.
I am leaving for Minneapolis in a few moments and have not received my tickets, registration badge and all the stuff that was apparently supposed to be sent out. Please regenerate them so I can pick them up at registration. Thanks, Judy Murphy
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
Since our bidding for a transmission analytical electron microscope was legally observed by the local JEOL representative, we would like to know if such situation has ocurred in other countries. Thank you. R. A. Versaci Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica Departamento de Materiales Buenos Aires-Argentina versaci-at-cnea.edu.ar
Could anyone help me with a vendor for fluoro-gold. I would like to use this for retrograde tracing. The only info I have is a company called Fluorochrome. I don't know where it is located. Any help would be appreciated.
I was wondering if there are any EM workshops offered in Canada (in particular on the East Coast). Workshops of interest are Cryo, Image Analysis or Insitu hybridization techniques. Please respond to me directly at carbyns-at-em.agr.ca Thanks, Susan
Post-doc on TEM available - The NSF-Materials Research Science and Engineering Center for Technology-Enabling Heterostructure Materials at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Purdue University has an opening for a post-doctoral research associate. The position requires hands-on experience on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including electron diffraction pattern analysis, bright-field, dark-field, weak-beam, and high-resolution TEM, as well as specimen preparation for plan-view and cross-sectional TEM. The employee will be responsible for the characterization of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) grown II-VI, III-V and/or nitrides wide bandgap semiconductor heterostructure devices, including analysis of the failure mechanism of II-VI lasers and light- emitting diodes. Duties will also include maintenance of sample preparation facilities including a Gatan Dual ion mill and a Jeol-2000 EX high-resolution transmission electron microscope which is under service contract. Rate of pay will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. All applications should send resumes to Professor Jessica C.P. Chang, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906-1285; Fax:317-494-6951; Email:changj-at-ecn.purdue.edu Purdue University is an AA/EEO/ADA employer.
-- Nancy L Desmond, Ph.D. nld-at-virginia.edu Department of Neurosurgery 804.924.5607 (voice) 804.982.3829 (fax) University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Box 420 Charlottesville, VA 22908
} Since our bidding for a transmission analytical electron microscope was } legally observed by the local JEOL representative, we would like to know } if such situation has ocurred in other countries. Thank you.
I experienced a similar situation several years ago when we were purchasing a SEM, and our university (in Louisiana at that time) requested bids. We had present at the opening of the sealed bids, representatives from Hitachi, Zeiss, ISI, AMR, and ETEC. JEOL did not send a representative. One of the reps later told me that they just occasionally check to see how the competition bids on detailed specifications. This was my only experience of this nature.
-=W.L. Steffens=- Department of Veterinary Pathology College of Veterinary Medicine University of Georgia
Mr-Received: by mta RANDB; Relayed; Fri, 09 Aug 1996 09:25:45 -0500 Mr-Received: by mta MCM$RAND; Relayed; Fri, 09 Aug 1996 09:25:47 -0500 Mr-Received: by mta RANDC; Relayed; Fri, 09 Aug 1996 09:26:04 -0500 Alternate-Recipient: prohibited Disclose-Recipients: prohibited Content-Return: prohibited
Tina,
I recently did a small project involving whole undecalcified rat "knee" joints. I embedded them in JB-4 glycol methacrylate using an infiltration schedule that took several days. The blocks were sectioned using a Microm microtome and a tungsten carbide knife. It was possible to cut sections at 5 microns and thinner. The Microm has a motor-driven cutting stroke that I think is probably necessary to get through the bone, but I have never tried anything else so I can't say for sure. I can give you more details if you'd like to contact me directly.
Jane A. Fagerland, Ph.D. Abbott Laboratories Abbott Park IL 60064
This virus alert was noted several months ago. The consensus of every sysop with whom I have communicated (numerous) is that this virus is a hoax. If ANYONE has experienced it - first hand, please post.
} X-Sender: crozier-at-csss2.la.asu.edu } Mime-Version: 1.0 } Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 09:53:46 -0700 } To: wheatley-at-csss.la.asu.edu } From: Crozier-at-ASU.Edu (Peter Crozier) } } John, } } Can you please post this to the microscopy list server } } Thanks } } Peter } } Dear Colleague, } } Please bring this position to the attention of any qualified candidates. } Thanks for your assistance. } } } Post-Doctoral Research Associate } } } } A post-doctoral research associate position is available with the } Industrial Associates Program in Transmission Electron Microscopy at the } Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy at Arizona State University. } The Industrial Associates Program consists of member companies with an } interest in advanced transmission electron microscopy. The successful } candidate will gain experience working on real industrial materials } problems in an academic setting. This unique perspective provides } excellent training for individuals interested in expanding and broadening } their skills. } } The position offers opportunities to work on a wide range of } technologically significant micro-characterization problems using the most } advanced state-of-the-art transmission electron microscopy techniques. In } addition to applying existing microscopy techniques to advanced materials } (especially heterogeneous catalysts and electronic materials), the } Industrial Associates Program also develops and evaluates new TEM } techniques for nanocharacterization. Areas of particular interest include } chemical imaging by HREM, annular dark-field imaging and electron } energy-loss techniques, electron crystallography of zeolites, and in-situ } environmental microscopy. } } The successful candidate should have a Ph.D. in physical sciences, with } extensive experience in analytical microscopy, HREM imaging and STEM } techniques. Experience in the areas of semiconductors and heterogeneous } catalysts is preferred. An ability to interact well with others and assist } industrial scientists in materials problem solving is essential. The } initial appointment will be for a period of one year with renewal } conditional on future funding. } } Applicants should submit their resume together and the names of 3 referees to: } } Dr. Peter A. Crozier } Industrial Associates Program } Center for Solid State Science } Arizona State University } Tempe, AZ 85287-1704 } Email:Crozier-at-asu.edu } } Peter A. Crozier, PhD (602) 965-2934 } FAX (602) 965-9004 } Crozier-at-ASU.edu } ASU- Industrial Associates Program } WWW URL: http://www.asu.edu/clas/csss/IAP }
John C. Wheatley Lab Manager Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy BOX 871704 Tempe, AZ 85287-1704 Phone: (602) 965-3831 FAX: (602) 965-9004 John.Wheatley-at-ASU.Edu
NEW YORK SOCIETY OF EXPERIMENTAL MICROSCOPISTS PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM & MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, CUNY present September 20, 1996, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
STOP AND GO: ADHESION MOLECULES AND EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX
Overview Dr. David COLMAN, Past-President NYSEM Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NYC
EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX Dr. Jean SCHWARZBAUER, Princeton University, NJ
Regulation of Fibronectin Assembly and Matrix Function
Dr. David BIRK, Tufts University, Boston, MA Regulation of Collagen and Matrix Assembly
INTEGRINS: MATRIX-CELL AND CELL-CELL INTERACTION Dr. Filippo GIANCOTTI, New York University School of Medicine, NY Integrin Mediated Adhesion and Signaling
Dr. Judith M. WHITE, University of Virginia Health Sciences,Charlotesvile VA Integrins and Disintegrins in Fertilization and Development
CELL-CELL JUNCTIONS Dr. Barry GUMBINER, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY Adherens Junctions
Dr. David SPRAY, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, the Bronx, NY Gap junctions: What We've Learned About Their Function from Connexin Knockout Mice
CELL MIGRATION Dr. Denise MONTELL, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD Regulation of Cell Migration During Drosophila Development.
Dr. Frederick MAXFIELD, Cornell University Medical College, NY Calcium Regulation of Adhesion and Motility
FRIDAY SEPT 20, 1996, 9 AM to 5:00 PM
The Stern Auditorium The Mount Sinai School of Medicine Madison Avenue and 100th Street New York City
For information: Dr. Marie Filbin, NYSEM secretary e-mail: filbin-at-genectr.hunter.cuny.edu phone: 212-772-5270 OR Dr. Sandra K. Masur, NYSEM President e-mail: masur-at-msvax.mssm.edu phone: 212-241-0089
NYSEM Symposium and Reception Pre-Registration Fees (post-marked by Sept 16)
$12.00 Pre-registration for NYSEM members $16.00 Pre-registration for non-members $ 5.00 Pre-registration for students
Registration at door: $20.00 for NYSEM members and non-members, $ 8.00 Registration for students
PLEASE SEND REGISTRATION FEE AND FORM before Sept 16 TO:
Dr. Marie Filbin Secretary, NYSEM Hunter College Department of Biological Sciences 695 Park Avenue New York, NY 10021
Best regards,
Sandra K. Masur, Ph.D. masur-at-inka.mssm.edu Box 1183 Depts of Ophthalmology,and Cell Biology/Anatomy Mount Sinai School of Medicine phone: 212-241-0089 or 6544 New York NY 10029-6574 fax: 212-289-5945
The Iowa Microscopy Society (IMS) will hold it's annual meeting on September 26 and 27, 1996 in Iowa City. This year we will combine our meeting with an open house of the Central Microscopy Research Facility. The seminars will take place on the University of Iowa campus in the Eckstein Medical Research Building.
September 26th, Thursday
7:30-9:00am Registration, poster and exhibiter setup
8:00 am Welcoming Remarks by Richard Sjolund-President,IMS
8:20 am "Imaging Muscle: From 3-D to 2-D and back again" By Margaret Goldstein, Baylor College of Medicine
9:10 am "Resinless Sections for Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy" By Marek Malecki, University of Wisconsin, IMR
10:00 am BREAK: Refreshments, posters, exibitors
10:20 "Microwave Technology: Application of Clinical Medicine and Research" Rick Giberson, Ted Pella Inc.
11:10 "An Improved Procedure or Alternate Approach to Cryo fixation for Both Light and Electron Microscopy" Fred Lightfoot, George Washington University
12:00 IMS Business Meeting
12:15 Lunch Break
1:40 pm "Visualization of Oral Drug Delivery" Christopher Squier, University of Iowa
2:10 pm "Immunological Approach to the Study of Phloem" Richard Sjolund, University of Iowa
2:40pm "Fluorescence Banding in Stalagmites" Luis Gonzalez, University of Iowa
3:10pm BREAK: Refreshments, posters, and exhibitors
3:40pm "In-Situ Hybridization Techniques" Rebecca Reiter, University of Iowa
4:00pm "Human Pathogenic Bacteria: Elucidation of Pathogenic Mechanisms by Microscopy" Michael Apicella, University of Iowa
4:30pm "Cell Interactions in the Tomato Root Meristem" Eugene Syzmkowiak, University of Iowa
5:00pm RECEPTION, award presentations.
September 27th, Friday Workshops
"Microwave Technology: Application to Clinical Medicine and Research" Rick Giberson, Ted Pella Inc.
"Resinless Sections for SEM and TEM" Mereck Malecki, University of Wisconsin, IMR
"Immunohistochemical and Immunofluorescence Techniques Using Monoclonal Antibodies" Richard Sjolund, University of Iowa
"Variable Pressure SEM-Hitachi S2460N" CMRF open house
"Bio-Rad MRC-1024 Laser Scanning Microscope" CMRF open house
Staff and Student poster competion for cash prizes. Abstracts due September 10.
Conference Preregistraion: Meeting day Registration:
I am trying to find the best method to process fine needle aspirates (FNA) for diagnostic electron micrsocopy. Most of the FNA specimens contain very fine cells and are either needle washings or contain a lot of red blood cells. I have used the technique of centrifuging the FNA between solution changes but find with the small amount of material availiable too much loss of specimen is occuring. As well, I have recently tried geling the FNA in 8% bovine serum albumin, however I have found that the BSA is not gelling well.
Does anyone have a reliable method, hopefully using BSA, for processing fine needle aspirates for diagnostic EM? This may also include processing FNA material on a Giemsa or PAP stained slide for EM.
Thanks in advance.
Please reply to richard.easingwood-at-stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Richard Easingwood)
Richard Easingwood South Campus Electron Microscope Unit School of Medical Sciences University of Otago PO Box 913 Dunedin NEW ZEALAND
} Since our bidding for a transmission analytical electron microscope was } legally observed by the local JEOL representative, we would like to know } if such situation has ocurred in other countries. Thank you. } R. A. Versaci } Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica } Departamento de Materiales } Buenos Aires-Argentina } versaci-at-cnea.edu.ar
I witness bid openings HERE, at both commercial and gov awards, and by the way, south of the (canadian) border is not where ANYONE trusts the honesty of bureaucrats ! I suggest that you want MORE witnessing, not less - that way your prices can improve even further, especially if the bidding remains open !!
Good luck, hope you get better prices, and hoist a cup to JOEL !
W. Dale Branton, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Physiology Director of Undergraduate Studies 6-255 Millard Hall University of Minnesota 435 Delaware St. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-8977 (612) 625-5149 (FAX)
what is imrlist-at-NETCONCEPTS.COM, and why the fuck am I getting a whole slew of unsolicited e-mails from them? i never signed up onto any listservs and i want to know who put me on this list and why. -wall
W. Dale Branton, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Physiology Director of Undergraduate Studies 6-255 Millard Hall University of Minnesota 435 Delaware St. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-8977 (612) 625-5149 (FAX)
W. Dale Branton, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Physiology Director of Undergraduate Studies 6-255 Millard Hall University of Minnesota 435 Delaware St. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-8977 (612) 625-5149 (FAX)
to those who have been getting mail from imrlist and don't know what it is about: i have been looking at the affiliations of the people whose undelivered mail is being bounced back to me, and it seems as though most ppl on this list are in some way involved in biology or medicine. having realized this, i made the connection that "IMR" stands for the integrated microscopy resource at madison wisconsin, and I had got a few announcements from them recently. have the other people who are getting unsolicted mail from imrlist also been getting announcements from the integrated microscopy resource? if so, all we have to do is find out who is in charge over there and get them to take us off this stupid list. -wall p.s. has anyone besides me tried sending mail to imrlist? so far i have gotten about 50 undeliverable-mail messages bouncing back.
I do not remember subscribing to this listserver. Please UNSUBSCRIBE me. I already receive mail from another listserver, and that is quite enough to keep up with.
I am interested in using a TEM to examine enzyme distribution, As such, I am wondering if there is an appropriate method for quantification of gold markers?
cheers,
Stephen Loughborough. The University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, Greenside Place, St Andrews, FIFE, Scotland.
I'm looking for a good ultramicrotome, In Brazil I only know the Leica representatives
Does anyone have experience with Leica ultramicrotomes? What equipment do you recommend ?
How may I contact the firms who sell ultramicrotomes? If a company has this equipment for sell, please send me a message, fax or letter.
I would be very grateful for any answer. ============================================================================= Francisco Javier Hernandez Blazquez | Universidade de Sao Paulo - Faculdade de | e-mail fjhblazq-at-spider.usp.br Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos | Voice: 55 195 616122 r. 265 Departamento de Ciencias Basicas/Histologia| r. 278 Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225 CP 23 | Fax: 55 195 618606 CEP 13630-000 Pirassununga (Sao Paulo) | BRAZIL | ==============================================================================
I am receiving listserve email from many people from imrlist-at-netconcepts.com PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS LISTSERVER!
------------------------------------------------------- William J. Wasserman | e-mail: wwasser-at-luc.edu Associate Professor | phone: (312)508-2337 Loyola University | fax: (312)508-3646 Dept. of Biology | http://orion.it.luc.edu/~wwasser -------------------------------------------------------
I am unsure where you received my address to add to your list, but PLEASE DELETE IT! Unsubscribe from imrlist.
Zena Werb Laboratory of Radiobiology and Environmental Health University of California, LR-102 3rd and Parnassus Avenues San Francisco, CA 94143-0750 Tel: (415) 476-4622 Fax: (415) 476-0721 Assistant: (415) 476-1636 Laboratory: (415) 476-4758 Internet: zena-at-radlab.ucsf.edu
} I do not remember subscribing to this listserver. Please UNSUBSCRIBE } me. I already receive mail from another listserver, and that is quite } enough to keep up with.
I'm on this list. And I really don't mind that I got added.
However, the polite thing to do for the list owner is to post the mechansim to unsubscribe. Then people can do it for themselves without deluging the net (and other subscribers) with demands to be removed that frankly arn't at all likely to be fulfilled....
+------------- 8F EF 51 4E 4F 23 22 AF 6A 41 D6 C0 AE 31 B1 82 -------------+ |Ross Smith, Research Computing Resource, Department of Cell Biology, NYU-MC| |E-Mail: SMITHP01-at-MCRCR.MED.NYU.EDU Phone: (212)263-5356: FAX: (212)263-8139| +-------------- {http://www.med.nyu.edu/people/P.R.Smith.html} --------------+
I want off of this list myself. I started getting messages last night and it seems that each one is sent in duplicate, I think that you may be right about Madison, and yes, I did recieve some announcements from them in the past ( but I didn't reply).
Robert Schoonhoven Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis University of North Carolina CB#7400, Rosenau Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400 Ph. 919-966-6343 Fax 919-966-6123
I am still not sure exactly what happened here, but it looks to me like a misconfiguration or error in what was supposed to be a mail reflector of a one-time IMR symposium announcement. Instead it was functioning as a listserver when people started sending emails to it. So it turned into something like a feedback loop.
I have been sent a number of emails from angry scientists regarding this. Please understand that no harm was meant and this was a mistake. It's upsetting to see messages from scientists saying "you can bet this did not win any friends for the Integrated Microscopy Resource!". Even threats of legal action! The IMR tries very hard to provide valuable resources to the microscopist community, and would not knowingly set out to fill Netizens' email boxes with junk mail.
I hope you will forgive this error. It has not happened before. It will not happen again.
I am no longer affiliated with the IMR, so please do not send emails to me regarding this. Instead, direct them to the IMR (vickie-at-macc.wisc.edu).
And by the way, please be gentle with Vickie, she has a baby due in a week. (i.e. please no more calls to her home or angry emails). Please keep in mind that this was not intentional. I know she feels very bad about this.
I hope this answers your questions regarding this matter/disaster.
For all of you who are trying to subscribe or unsubscribe , we have the instructions posted on our WWW page under Tips & Tricks. The URL is :
http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/
Maybe Nestor could post them on the MSA home page as well. ******************************************************* Greg Erdos Phone: 352-392-1295 Scientific Director, ICBR Electron Microscopy Core Lab 218 Carr Hall Fax: 352-846-0251 University of Florida E-mail: gwe-at-biotech.ufl.edu Gainesville, FL 32611 http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/
Have just received a brochure on a product called optiscan.At first glance it looks like a laser head which can be fitted to any reasonable light microscope and hence transform it into a confocal. Has anyone any knowledge or experience of this product. Thanks in advance Peter Smith
Putting on my hat as Program Chair of Microscopy and Microanalysis 1996, I'd like to invite those members of the Microscopy Listserver community that cannot make it to the Meeting this week to visit us via the WWW.
Using the protocols developed for my TelePresence Microscopy Site at ANL (http://tpm.amc.anl.gov) I have established 2 Live Video feeds direct from the Conference Site in the Minneapolis Convention Center to the WWW.
You may access these Live Feeds directly from the Home Page of the Microscopy Society of America
http://www.msa.microscopy.com
The Video Feeds offically go on-line about Noon CST on Monday 8/12/96 at the start of the Conference Exhibit and the opening of the Computer Workshop. However, you may sneak preview them right now, realizing that we are still hasseling with the usual installation headaches.
In any event, please feel free to join in the meeting even if it is only via a remote link. Just think of this as another way I'm trying to bring the microscopists of the world abit closer together. A Video Listserver so to speak! (Yes, before you ask we can also send audio, but I've turned that function off right now).
All reports of your connection location, video quality, download speed as well as your comments will be appreciated.
Message-Id: {MAPI.Id.0016.00697020202020203235373830303030-at-MAPI.to.RFC822} Priority: Normal To: microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com Cc: pearl {yip-at-maxwell.rl.plh.af.mil} Mime-Version: 1.0
Dear all,
Does anyone know that the catalog No. of Ilford L4 emulsion for doing EM-autoradiography ? Since I can not find this info from the company in Taiwan. Any help or info would be highly appreciated in advance.
*************************************************************** Min-Huei, Chen Institute of molecular biology Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan E-Mail : chingyi-at-ccvax.sinica.edu.tw ****************************************************************
Message-Id: {199608121616.RAA05654-at-iop.bpmf.ac.uk} X-Sender: spjtgsd-at-mail.iop.bpmf.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.1.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Can anyone suggest vendors of antibodies for receptor immunocytochemistry ? Specifically, I am interested in antibodies to excitatory amino acidergic receptor subunits.
} Subject: JEOL, Y. Konishi } Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 11:32:57 -0700 } From: versaci raul {versaci-at-cnea.edu.ar} } Organization: cnea } To: microscopy-at-sparc5.microscopy.com } } Dear Mr. Yaichi Konishi, } Our bidding for a analytical transmision electron microscope was answered } by the local Philips and JEOL representatives, offering instruments in } accordance with the requested technical characteristics. The Philips } CM200 instruments was the cheapest offer, being about U$S 80.000 less } than the JEOL offer for the JEM 2010. Then, according to our regulations } we have decided for the cheapest offer. However, the local representative } has legally observed the bidding, alleging that any change of polar } pieces cannot be made by the operator in the Philips instrument as } requested. } R. Versaci } Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica } Departamento de Materiales } Buenos Aires-Argentina } E-mail: versaci-at-cnea.edu.ar
Our bidding for a analytical transmision electron microscope was answered by the local Philips and JEOL representatives, offering instruments in accordance with the requested technical characteristics. The Philips CM200 instruments was the cheapest offer, being about U$S 80.000 less than the JEOL offer for the JEM 2010. Then, according to our regulations we have decided for the cheapest offer. However, the local representative has legally observed the bidding, alleging that any change of polar pieces cannot be made by the operator in the Philips instrument as requested.
R. Versaci
Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica Departamento de Materiales Buenos Aires-Argentina E-mail: versaci-at-cnea.edu.ar
Hi Peter, I haven't received the mentioned brochure, but would be very interested to receive it. Could you send me a copy ro 800 nuberaddress I could contact thanks.
Lucio ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lucio Mule'Stagno MEMC Electronic Materials Inc University of Missouri -St.Louis Silicon Materials Research Group Physics Dept., 501 Pearl Dr., 8001 Natural Bridge rd., St.Peters, St.Louis MO 63376 MO 63121 tel: 314 279 5338 314 516 5931/3 fax: 314 279 5363 314 516 6152 email: lmulestagno-at-memc.com luciom-at-newton.umsl.edu URL:http://www.newton.umsl.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have made some 3D reconstructions of plant cells available to the net. There are 3DRs that I have made during my thesis. The 3DR are made using LM sections of plant cells, transfering the sections to a PowerMac and processing them with NIH-Image, no other program has been used to render the 3DRs. Please if you take a look to my page, let me know what you think.
Any comments would be appreciated. Correct my grammar if it is wrong.
The reconstructions can be found in the following URL:
http://www.nvg.unit.no/~gary
under thesis.
To see the animation you have to use NETSCAPE 2.0 or higher. If you try to see the S/MM-03 part, it will be very slow, because the reconstruction is to big. I will try to make this 3DR a little smaller.
Does anyone have readily available plans for a home made light box for inspection of negatives? Desktop or wall mounted? I could probably design one myself but am trying to avoid re-inventing the wheel.
Thanks in advance,
Bob
Robert R. Wise, PhD Director, UWO Electron Microscope Facility Department of Biology University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI 54901 (414) 424-3404 tel (414) 424-1101 fax wise-at-vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu
Can anyone suggest vendors of antibodies for receptor immunocytochemistry ? Specifically, I am interested in antibodies to excitatory amino acidergic receptor subunits.
Excuse me, I have no idea why or how I received email from the
microscopy-at-sparc5.microscopy.com email list but I have very little to do with anything biological. If there is someone who is responsible for this list can you kindly take me off. -Diganta
+----+ +----+ +-----------------------+-----------------------------+ | \ GO / | | Diganta Saha | Material Science Engineer, | ++ + \ / + ++ | | Virtual Reality Lab Staff, | | |\ \/ /| | | Forest Place #205 | ITD Level 1 Consultant, | | | \ / | | | 721 South Forest Av. | Hermes Project Webmaster, | | | \ / | | | Ann Arbor, MI 48104 | Home :1-(313)-668-8154 | ++ ++ \/ ++ ++ |-----------------------+-----------------------------| | | BLUE | | | URL: http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~saha | +----+ +----+ +-----------------------------------------------------+
Hello again from Minneapolis. We have a news flash for you.
Tomorrow Tuesday 8/13/96 we will be broadcasting live the complete TelePresence Microscopy Symposium on the WWW. I will be reconfiguring the image display windows to smaller sizes and attempting to add the audio feed at the same time. This is an experiment but if you have access to a high speed connection to the internet you may be able to login and watch and in some cases listen to the symposium. (Donot attempt to watch and listen over a modem, I recommend at least ISDN, but better yet find someone with a T1 or better connection. Also use the lastest version of NetScape that you can download I recommend at least Version 2.01)
In addition to the TPM symposium, Congressman Bill Luther, Member of the House Science Committee and the Basic Research Subcomittee will be giving a presentation entitled
"Perspectives on Federal Funding for Science"
This will also be put on-line, but via delayed broadcast also on Tuedsay. We expect Congressman Luthers talk to be broadcast between about 3:30 to 4:00 and to last roughly 20 minutes.
Direct links to both of these presentations can be found on the MSA HomePage.
http://www.msa.microscopy.com
Cheers.... ( and I hope this experiment works, or at least gives us an idea of what we can/will be able to do in the future)
Microscopy-at-sparc5.microscopy.com (MICROSCOPY MSA list messages) Message-ID: {1996Aug13.104200.1814.9177-at-missgate.sunderland.ac.uk} X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail via PostalUnion/SMTP for Windows NT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Organization: University of Sunderland
Dear CHINGY
your best bet would be to contact a specialist e.m. supplier rather than Ilford Photographic. You could try someone like:-
Agar Scientific 66a Cambridge Road STANSTED Essex CM24 6DA ENGLAND Telephone (01279) 813519 Fax (01279) 815106 } N.B. I think international calls are prefixed by 0044 and miss the first 0.
The Agar Scientific catalogue number for 50mls of Ilford nuclear emulsion L4 is P9282 and the price was 111.00 UK pounds (excluding VAT - Value Added Tax - and delivery) in January 1995 but there may be a surcharge. If you ask nicely they should send you a catalogue.
Good luck.
Malcolm Haswell University of Sunderland UK e-mail:- es0mhs-at-environment.sunderland.ac.uk
A short "gif-animation", with power-spectrum accompaniment, of one path for finding Scherzer defocus on a holey-film specimen is now accessible through our browser-interactive simulator at {http://www.umsl.edu/~fraundor/epc/index.html} . Problem is: You have to find Scherzer defocus on the unknown in order to get it!
Does anyone use LR White with plant tissue? I'm trying to use it, but I don't have any instructions for the ratio of accelerator to resin. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There is an entire listing of all courses offered in Canada through the Microscopical Society of Canada. It was compiled by David O'Neil. his email address is : oneild-at-imb.lan.nrc.ca
The latest listing I have is Jan. 95. It should be very current and comprehensive. The "Bulletin", which comes out 4 times a year also lists short courses and workshops. The editor is Carolyn Emerson. Her email address is: cemerson-at-kean.ucs.mun.ca
The MSC also has local sections. The Atlantic sEction is very active and meets regularly. Again, David O'Neil could give you more info on that.
Good Luck!! I am a Nova Scotian in case you're wondering how I fit into this!
} Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 08:18:08 -0700 } From: Brad Goodwin {goodwib-at-wdni.com} } Organization: Weyerhaeuser } To: Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com } Subject: LR White Accelerator
} Does anyone use LR White with plant tissue? I'm trying to use it, } but I don't have any instructions for the ratio of accelerator to } resin. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Brad
The data sheets for LR White recommend one drop of accelerator in 10ml resin with curing in 10-20 minutes. Points to watch are to cool the block during the polymerisation and not to use osmium tetroxide to post-fix material for EM. If the blocks polymerise too quickly or too slowly adjust the accelerator volume slightly (it can go off in time).
We use LR White extensively for LM and immuno-gold TEM of plant material with good success though we normally use thermal polymerisation.
Ian Hallett
Ian Hallett HortResearch Mt Albert Research Centre Private Bag 92 169 Auckland, New Zealand Fax 64-9-815 4201 Telephone 64-9-849 3660 EMail ihallett-at-hort.cri.nz
Can anyone provide me some information about the possible sources for Te (Tellurium), Tb (Terbium), and Bi (Bismuth) standards for metal microprobe analysis? Or any commercially available materials that can be used for the purpose?
Thanks for your help.
Xiaogang
*********************************** * Xiaogang Xie * * SEM & Microprobe lab * * Dept. of Geology and Geophysics * * Louisiana State University * * Baton Rouge, LA 70803 * * Office (504)388-2240 * * Fax (504)388-2302 * ***********************************
Electron Microscopist Position - Magnetic Materials University of Delaware
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware invites applications for an electron microscopist position in an interdisciplinary program supported by the Department of Defense involving the fabrication, characterization, study, and development of advanced high temperature magnetic materials. Previous experience in analytical/high resolution electron microscopy and Lorentz microscopy is required. Position start date is October/November 1996. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 16, 1996. Applicants should send a resume and the names and addresses of three references to: George C. Hadjipanayis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-2570, USA. The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which encourages applications from qualified members of minority groups and women.
**************************************************************************** Patricia Musa pmusa-at-udel.edu Physics & Astronomy Dept. University of Delaware Phone: 302-831-2662 Newark, DE 19716-2570, USA FAX: 302-831-1637 *****************************************************************************
I am posting this for a colleague, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO ME, REPLY TO: SBME-at-RDC.PUC-RIO.BR. Any replies to be will end up in the trash!
Research Associate and Post-Doctoral Postions
Available in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Requirements: Ph. D. in Materials Science and Engineering or Physics with hands-on experience in experminetal AEM and HREM of metallic and ceramic materials. Highly desired experience with JEOL 2010 TEM and with image processing operations.
Task: Co-ordinate preparation of bulk and cross-section samples. Operate (and give demonstrations to students) a JEOL 2010 TEM 960 SEM. Strong and interactive participation in research projects involving detailed microstructural characterization of engineering materials and minerals.
Salary: According with experience, comparable to equivalent position in the US. Round trip airplane ticket is provided. One year or two years appointments with possibility of renewal. Please contact and mail your resume to:
Prof. Guillermo Solorzano President Brazillian Society for Electron Microscopy C.P. 38090 - Gavea 22452 Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Message-Id: {199608150810.EAA21350-at-mime2.prodigy.com} X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae02dm02sc04
-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
Xie Xiaogang wrote: =========================== Can anyone provide me some information about the possible sources for Te (Tellurium), Tb (Terbium), and Bi (Bismuth) standards for metal microprobe analysis? Or any commercially available materials that can be used for the purpose =========================== SPI Supplies produces these kinds of standards for microanalysis, and full details including prices are available at our website given below. Just click on the catalog cover, and once in the Table of Contents, click on "Standards and Calibration Aids".
Chuck
====================================================== Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. Ph: 1-(610)-436-5400 President 1-(800)-2424-SPI SPI SUPPLIES FAX: 1-(610)-436-5755 PO BOX 656 e-mail: GVKM07A-at-prodigy. com West Chester, PA 19381-0656 USA Customer Service: spi2spi-at-2spi. com
Look for us! ############################ WWW: http://www.2spi.com ############################ =====================================================
I am looking for a printer driver to permit my Kevex 8000/Delta to dump to a late model color inkjet or possibly a laserjet. The system is a DEC PDP 11/73 running RT11 w/TSX. Currently I have a (malfunctioning) Tektronix 4696 ink jet printer connected through the parallel port. Application programs of interest include "Advanced Imaging", "Automated Image Analysis (AIA), and Quantx.
Michael S. Isaacson Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies College of Engineering 241 Carpenter Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 Telephone: (607)255-9545 Fax: (607)255-9606
Would anyone have a SEM micrograph of the mosquito "aedes aegypti". An advertising company are looking for one and are prepared to pay for it. If you are interested please let me know Thank you Joan Clark
Joan Clark Department of Zoology University of Melbourne joan.clark-at-sci.monash.edu.au
} Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 15:06:21 } To: xxie-at-lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu (Xiaogang Xie) } From: Probing & Structure {pns-at-ultra.net.au} } Subject: Re: Help needed: Te, Tb, Bi stds } } At 18:35 13-08-96 -0600, you wrote: } } Can anyone provide me some information about the possible sources } } for Te (Tellurium), Tb (Terbium), and Bi (Bismuth) standards for metal } } microprobe analysis? Or any commercially available materials that can be } } used for the purpose? } } } } Thanks for your help. } } } } Xiaogang } **************************************************** Of course P&S and several other EM/Probing suppliers too can supply those standards. The advice is shop around, standard blocks prices and quality differ. The term produce should mean manufacture, but some people use it as in "he produced a rabbit out of a hat." P&S supplies and we do not pretend to manufacture what we do not. Compare when you shop and you may find that some products are in fact of identical manufacture but have only been re-badged - at great cost.
Jim Darley Probing & Structure Microscopy Supplies & Accessories
Phone +61 77 740 370 Fax: +61 77 892 313 A great microscopy site http://www.ultra.net.au/~pns/ ***********************
The 24th SCOTTISH MICROSCOPY GROUP SYMPOSIUM (First circular)
ABERDEEN EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE CENTRE Wednesday 13 November 1996.
This year the meeting will emphasise on techniques rather than results.
The following topics have been selected:
(a) Biological Immunocytochemistry
(b) Energy Filtering Electron Microscopy
(c) Environmental Electron Microscopy
(d) Image Archiving
These talks will be interspersed with several short presentations. The names of the speakers and titles of the talks will be sent out with the second circular.
As in previous years, we welcome posters and there will be prizes for the best entries.
If you are interested in submitting a poster or would like more information please email me.
Kevin Mackenzie Tillydrone E.M. Unit University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen Scotland Tel 01224-272847 fax 01224-272396 email k.s.mackenzie-at-abdn.ac.uk
I need some recommendations! I'm presently looking for software, preferably mac or mac/pc crossplatform, for keeping track of images created in our lab. The ideal software would be able to index any image file type, create postage stamp size images, and sort by a variety of criteria, such as date, experiment, researcher, etc. Additionally it should be able to read opticals, cd's, or any other scsi device. What do you use? Pro's? Con's?
Fetch? Filemaker?
Thanks for the help! Steve
University of Wisconsin-Madison Robert M. Bock Laboratory 1525 Linden Dr rm#527 Madison, WI 53706
Work (608) 262-4581 Fax (608) 262-4570 Home (608) 837-9566
Well the Microscopy & Microanalysis 96 meeting is over and a lot of people are happy and rightfully tired.
Allow me to take this opportunity to literally take my hat off to all those of you who have made this meeting a resounding success. A special acknowledgement is due to the Symposium Organizers and very importantly the Local Arrangements Committee, without whom this meeting could not have taken place. You all did a great job!
For those of you that could not attend, this year the scientific registration reached 1530 individuals and is the second highest ever attendance in the meeting history, exceeded only by the mega-meeting which was held in Boston in 1992 and was also the 50th anniversary meeting of the Microscopy Society of America.
Several other notable "First's" happened this year.
The proceedings appeared on-line and many of you took the opportunity to preview medium resolution copies of all the presentations.
Poster Sessions were distributed throughout the meeting and about 1/4 of each were presented daily, with each poster presenter given a brief opportunity to stand up and say a few words in a topical discussion session.
The experimental TelePresence link which we established and only announced on the evening prior to the start of the meeting met with surprizing success. This represented the first ever Live Internet broadcast to the world from a Microscopy meeting. And given the short notice I'm particuliarly pleased with the results. In effect, we are now becoming a truely connected community of microscopists and microanalysts.
We recorded TelePresence Access from 18 countries around the world the farthest were our colleagues in Australia while the most numerous were various Universities in the USA. For the record we had "on-line" visits from (in no particuliar order) :
Australia, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, France, Mexico, Hungary, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Brazil, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Solvenia and of course many links from the USA in government, university and commerical organizations.
A total of 1252 logins were recorded to the TelePresence link in the computer workshop area, where we not only broadcast a continuous view of the workshop, but on Tuesday broadcast live the entire TelePresence Microscopy Symposium (another first), with yours truely being the first speaker ;-) . Those who had access to a Java Aware WWW browser were able to not only watch but listen to the symposium on-line (with varying degrees of success depending upon the speed of your connection to the internet).
We also had delayed broadcast on Tuesday of the public policy symposium where presentations were made by Congressman Bill Luther, member of the House Science Committee and by Christopher Roosa, the Assistant Legislative Director of the House Committee on Science. I will be arranging a repeat broadcast of that discussion for those of you who might be interested and will post the details sometime in the next few weeks.
In addition, to the computer workshop we recorded 883 acesses to the Exhibit Floor Telepresence line. Because of our connectivity, a number of Exhibitors were able to have live high speed access (T1) to the Internet, yet another first, and I expect this to grow next year.
Finally on behalf of the Microscopy Society of America, the Microbeam Analysis Society and the Microscopical Society of Canada, the meeting attendee's and myself allow me to thank again all those who made the meeting a success. We all hope that if you couldn't make it this year you will be able to join us next year in Cleveland, Ohio (August 10-14, 1997). Just keep checking the society home page (http://www.msa.microscopy.com) for details.
Cheers.... Nestor
Your Friendly Neighborhood SysOp
and now happily
Former Program Chair of Microscopy & Microanalysis !!!
I used to use Kodak's Shoebox but have just upgraded to Canto's Cumulus desktop image database. I haven't had time to install it yet but it is supposed to do everything you ask. It is apparently a major player in the field based on the user list they supplied in the original advertisement which I no longer have but I think they listed Disney's Animation studio and several big graphic imaging companies. My upgrade from Shoebox pricing was only $29.95 but it lists for about $99 I think. You might want to give them a call at 415-905-0300 or fax 415-905-0315. I hope it is as good as it sounds.
} I need some recommendations! I'm presently looking for software, } preferably mac or mac/pc crossplatform, for keeping track of images } created in our lab. The ideal software would be able to index any image } file type, create postage stamp size images, and sort by a variety of } criteria, such as date, experiment, researcher, etc. Additionally it } should be able to read opticals, cd's, or any other scsi device. } What do you use? Pro's? Con's? } } Fetch? Filemaker? } } Thanks for the help! Steve } } University of Wisconsin-Madison } Robert M. Bock Laboratory } 1525 Linden Dr } rm#527 } Madison, WI 53706 } } Work (608) 262-4581 } Fax (608) 262-4570 } Home (608) 837-9566 } } slimbach-at-facstaff.wisc.edu
Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Director, Molecular Cytology Core Facility 3 Tucker Hall University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 (314)-882-4712 (voice) (314)-882-0123 (fax)
I know what you mean.... dumping images to the 4696 using the available software is a total waste of time. The default resolution of the original is 512x256 (x256 shades). I have had success in producing nice images, but had to work for them...I don't do it regularly.
Also, Tektronix has discontinued sales and service contracts on the 4696. They still will repair them "on a best effort basis, based on time and materials, continginent on parts availability" (almost accurate quote).
In AIA, you can set the resolution to 512x512 (or more). After the image has been collected, I save as tiff to 44 Mb bernoulli. Since my sys is not wired to network, I take the 44 to a PC which I have configured to read RT-11 format 44 Bernoullis, copy to dos/win, then print using PC software to (at least) a 600dpi laserjet. For halftoned images, a 1200dpi would be better yet (software permiting).
For spectra, I scrounged a Hewlet Packard plotter. The driver was on my system for a different model HP plotter (HPPLOT), but the commands were the same. Not only is the plotter faster, but I think the appearance is improved. The only drawback is I cannot "compare" two spectra in two (transparent) colors and have the overlap as a third color.
BTW All:
I know the right video printer will work, but have not (yet) recieved permission to purchase one. Furthermore, (given the 8000 display) the quality/resolution will never be as good for image printing as a GOOD high res digital ptr could be.
Woody
Wk: woody.n.white-at-mcdermott.com Hm: woody.white-at-worldnet.att.net When the m-server is running ha ha!
Woody, I have the same Kevex setup, and use the 4696 to print spectra. However, images from AIA and feature packages look like crap. I would love to print to an HP or similar inkjet. Please let me know if you get any responses to your request. Thanks,
Dave Gnizak Ferro Corporation Technical Center Independence, Ohio
Hello, I am trying to find info on the preparation of a pond water sample. I was wondering if critical point drying or standard preparation would be better, considering diverse microorganisms present(diatoms, filamentous bacteria, zooplankton, cyanobacteria, algae and protozoa). I've so far only been able to find general information on SEM applications and the problems of dealing with structural water, the info is also quite old. Any useful libraries with online resources would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks muchly, Lindsay.
The Silicon Materials Research Department at MEMC Electronic Materials Inc, has 2 immediate openings for "engineers" . MEMC is located outside St. Louis, and is the largest manufacturer of silicon wafers for the electronic industry outside Japan. The St. Peters plant currently has over 2000 employees including most of the researchers, and is the fastest growing employer in the state of Missouri.
If you or anyone you know is interested in one of these jobs, please have them contact me or send me a resume.
The first position involves the managing of a research lab with various equipment such as an FTIR, lifetime scanner, furnaces etc.. The person would be responsible for ensuring that the equipment is in working order, and that procedures are written for operating the various equipment. He/she would also interact with various technicians, and at times might be required to supervise their work. This person would also be required to help the scientist to whom he reports put together data and reports.
The requirements for the job: B.S/M.S. in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Material Sc., or related field. Ph.D. not required. Strong communication, leadership and laboratory skills required. 2+ years experience in industry (ideally the electronics industry)or military experience preferred but not required.
The second position involves the actual running of 2-3 IR scattering instruments (with the help of one or more technicians) and providing the data for analysis. It will also involve TEM SEM and similar specimen preparation. Light microscopy and image analysis would also be part of this person's duties. The person would be responsible for ensuring the running of the instruments, writing-up relevant procedures for technicians to use, and helping scientists with the data analysis. He or she would also work closely with technicians, and might be asked to supervise their activities.
The requirements for the job are:
B.S/M.S. in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Material Sc., or related field. Ph.D. not required. Specimen preparation experience preferred. Strong communication, leadership and laboratory skills required. 2+ years experience in industry (ideally the electronics industry)or military experience preferred but not required.
Dr. Luciano Mule'Stagno MEMC Electronic Materials Inc., Silicon Materials Research Group 501 Pearl Dr., St.Peters, MO 63376 tel: 314 279 5338 fax: 314 279 5363 email: lmulestagno-at-memc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lucio Mule'Stagno MEMC Electronic Materials Inc University of Missouri -St.Louis Silicon Materials Research Group Physics Dept., 501 Pearl Dr., 8001 Natural Bridge rd., St.Peters, St.Louis MO 63376 MO 63121 tel: 314 279 5338 314 516 5931/3 fax: 314 279 5363 314 516 6152 email: lmulestagno-at-memc.com luciom-at-newton.umsl.edu URL:http://www.newton.umsl.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Postdoctoral fellowship (Ph.D. in biophysics, physics or related discipline) is now available for the development of biological electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy-filtering electron microscopy, and the applications of these techniques to biomedicine in collaboration with other NIH laboratories. This collaborative research will be centered around a field-emission scanning transmission electron microscope (VG HB501) equipped with a parallel-detection electron spectrometer and interfaced to a digital image acquisition system. A fixed-beam transmission electron microscope (CM120) equipped with an imaging filter and a cooled slow-scan CCD camera is also available.
Hello can anyone help me? I am having resin infiltration problems using freeze-substitution on leaf tissue from Myrothamnus flabellifolia.
the freeze-substitution schedule used was:
1) samples were plunge frozen in liquid propane. 2) samples were then substituted in 100% methanol for 14 days at -82 C. 3) samples were then placed in a cryochamber and the temperature was ramped up from -80 C to -25 C over a 45 hr period. 4) samples were infiltrated in two changes of 100% LR Gold resin (+ benzil) at -25 C with each change for a duration of 1 hr. 5) samples were then placed in 100% LR Gold (+benzil) at -25 C for 16 hr. 6) samples were then placed into another change of 100% LR Gold (+benzil) for 248 hr at -20 C. 7) samples were polymerized in a final change of 100% LR Gold (+ benzil) under UV light at -25 C for 24 hr.
The blocks polymerized fine but there seemed to be no resin infiltration into the tissue at all - the leaf was a spongy mass contained within the polymerized block of resin.
Is this freeze-substitution schedule OK? Is this freeze-substitution schedule suitable for leaf tissue? Is there a tried freeze-substitution protocol for plant leaf tissue? Are there any ideas on enhancing resin infiltration into leaf tissue?
Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (MICROSCOPY MSA list messages) Message-ID: {1996Aug20.094300.1814.18719-at-missgate.sunderland.ac.uk} X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail via PostalUnion/SMTP for Windows NT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Organization: University of Sunderland
Dear Michaela
I am not familiar with LR Gold in freeze substitution but I have seen schedules for Lowicryl which involve the use of methanol/resin mixtures between 100% methanol and 100% resin. This would seem sensible for any good infiltration, especially of plant, so perhaps your stage 4 should include: 25:75 resin:methanol 50:50 resin:methanol 75:25 resin:methanol I'm sorry I can't suggest any times (possibly 1 hour each).
Malcolm Haswell E.M. Unit University of Sunderland U.K. e-mail: es0mhs-at-sunderland.environment.ac.uk
----------
Hello can anyone help me? I am having resin infiltration problems using freeze-substitution on leaf tissue from Myrothamnus flabellifolia.
the freeze-substitution schedule used was:
1) samples were plunge frozen in liquid propane. 2) samples were then substituted in 100% methanol for 14 days at -82 C. 3) samples were then placed in a cryochamber and the temperature was ramped up from -80 C to -25 C over a 45 hr period. 4) samples were infiltrated in two changes of 100% LR Gold resin (+ benzil) at -25 C with each change for a duration of 1 hr. 5) samples were then placed in 100% LR Gold (+benzil) at -25 C for 16 hr. 6) samples were then placed into another change of 100% LR Gold (+benzil) for 248 hr at -20 C. 7) samples were polymerized in a final change of 100% LR Gold (+ benzil) under UV light at -25 C for 24 hr.
The blocks polymerized fine but there seemed to be no resin infiltration into the tissue at all - the leaf was a spongy mass contained within the polymerized block of resin.
Is this freeze-substitution schedule OK? Is this freeze-substitution schedule suitable for leaf tissue? Is there a tried freeze-substitution protocol for plant leaf tissue? Are there any ideas on enhancing resin infiltration into leaf tissue?
thanks for your time, Michaela.
------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from Sparc5.Microscopy.Com by missgate.sunderland.ac.uk (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9a for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1996Aug20.090311.1814.14465; Tue, 20 Aug 1996 09:03:13 +0100 Received: (from daemon-at-localhost) by Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (8.6.11/8.6.11) id WAA00543 for dist-Microscopy; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 22:58:27 -0500 Received: from VX23.CC.MONASH.EDU.AU (vx23.cc.monash.edu.au [130.194.1.23]) by Sparc5.Microscopy.Com (8.6.11/8.6.11) with ESMTP id WAA00540 for {microscopy-at-msa.microscopy.com} ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 22:58:23 -0500 Received: from ccs1.cc.monash.edu.au ("port 3541"-at-ccs1.cc.monash.edu.au) by vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (PMDF V5.0-6 #16291) id {01I8I241FZN291X20N-at-vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au} for microscopy-at-msa.microscopy.com; Tue, 20 Aug 1996 14:00:49 +1000 Received: from CCS1/SpoolDir by ccs1.cc.monash.edu.au (Mercury 1.20); Tue, 20 Aug 1996 14:00:49 +1000 Received: from SpoolDir by CCS1 (Mercury 1.20); Tue, 20 Aug 1996 14:00:48 +1000
I'm thinking about taking the EM exam for Certification and would like to hear from anyone who has taken it recently. Any information on what to study or helpful hints for taking the exam would be greatly appreciated.
To: Microscopy ListSer {Microscopy-at-MSA.Microscopy.Com}
As an industry employed microscopist, I'd be interested to know what the EM exam is that Kristin Becker asked about. Is it related to government employment?
Hi EM folks, Am passing along a message from Chuck Garber seconding kudos for Nestor. Also, included is recognition for John Mansfield, whom I forgot to mention. Hope all of you interested in digital microscopy heard John's talk. It was very informative and well-organized!!! And for those of you, like I, who couldn't write fast enough, it was on the MSA computers under digital microscopy. Sara
Sara E. Miller, Ph. D. P. O. Box 3020 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 Ph: 919 684-3452 FAX: 919 684-8735
---------- Forwarded message ----------
-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
Hi Sara,
What makes it all the more amazing is that during all of this time, Nestor was doing another "first", something never done before at any exhibition we have ever participated. He made it possible to have a T1 connection run into individual exhibit booths, and novices like myself made enormous demands not only on Nestor's time but also that of John Mansfield.
This enabled us for example, to demonstrate the wonders of our website and electronic catalog at T1 speeds.
And this was all done with out a single break in the cadence of his running of the meeting!
Chuck
PS: Message sent only to you and not to the listserver.
Wow, Nester!!! The MSA computer presence is impressive---and most of it due to you. Many thanx for everything from all of us. -------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
} Date: Friday, 16-Aug-96 10:10 PM } } From: Sara Miller \ Internet: (saram-at-acpub.duke.edu) } To: Garber, Charles A. \ PRODIGY: (GVKM07A) } } Subject: Re: Microscopy & Microanalysis-96 } } Sincerely, } Sara } } } } Sara E. Miller, Ph. D. } P. O. Box 3020 } Duke University Medical Center } Durham, NC 27710 } Ph: 919 684-3452 } FAX: 919 684-8735 } } }
We have a problem with settled phagocytic blood cells from the mussel (Mollusca: Lammellibranch: Mytilus) which are ruptured after critical point drying . The cells have very thin, delicate sheets of cytoplasm around the nuclear area which almost merge into the background. These split but so too can the thicker nuclear area.
The cells are settled onto glass cover slips, fed bacteria, fixed in glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with acetones (typically 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100%) and then go into liquid carbon dioxide for drying. I know shrinkage occurs in CPD but it would be really helpful to minimise it!! All suggestions welcomed.
With best wishes
Keith Ryan Plymouth Marine Laboratory Citadel Hill Plymouth Devon PL1 2PB England
I have been trying to average some color video pictures using NIH Image running on a Macintosh 8500 using the built in video option. Input is from a Sony 8 mm video camera running in VCR mode. The capture video picture looks OK but when I try to grab the picture using "Average frames" option I get an image with a bizarre lookup table. In B/W mode "Average frames" seems to work OK. Is "Average frame" not possible for color input? Is the built-in video option not supported or not supported for averaging frames?
Kenneth A. Taylor, Ph.D. Phone: 904-644-3357 Institute of Molecular Biophysics Fax: 904-561-1406 Florida State University E-mail: taylor-at-sb.fsu.edu Tallahassee, FL 32306-3015 Home pages: http://www.sb.fsu.edu/~taylor/ http://www.fsu.edu/~biology/faculty/kat.html
It sounds like the substitution is adequate; I'd bet you would need on the order of several weeks infiltration time: the resin is of higher viscosity at (-)25 and the rate of diffusion through the tissue is also much slower. Try infiltrating in 100% resin for a month...
} Hello can anyone help me? I am having resin infiltration problems using } freeze-substitution on leaf tissue from Myrothamnus flabellifolia. } } the freeze-substitution schedule used was: } } 1) samples were plunge frozen in } liquid propane. } 2) samples were then substituted in } 100% methanol for 14 days at } -82 C. } 3) samples were then placed in a } cryochamber and the temperature } was ramped up from -80 C to -25 C over a 45 hr period. } 4) samples were infiltrated in two } changes of 100% LR Gold resin (+ } benzil) at -25 C with each change for a duration of 1 hr. } 5) samples were then placed in 100% LR } Gold (+benzil) at -25 C for } 16 hr. } 6) samples were then placed into } another change of 100% LR Gold } (+benzil) for 248 hr at -20 C. } 7) samples were polymerized in a final } change of 100% LR Gold (+ } benzil) under UV light at -25 C for 24 hr. } } The blocks polymerized fine but there seemed to be no resin infiltration } into the tissue at all - the leaf was a spongy mass contained within the } polymerized block of resin. } } Is this freeze-substitution schedule OK? } Is this freeze-substitution schedule suitable for leaf tissue? Is there } a tried freeze-substitution protocol for plant leaf tissue? } Are there any ideas on enhancing resin infiltration into leaf tissue? } } thanks for your time, Michaela.
R. Howard Berg, Ph.D. Department of Microbiology & Molecular Cell Sciences Campus Box 526041 University of Memphis Memphis, TN, 38152-6041 E mail: bergrh-at-cc.memphis.edu phone: 901-678-4449 fax: 901-678-4457
LINDSAY UNSWORTH wrote: } } Hello, } I am trying to find info on the preparation of a pond water sample. } I was wondering if critical point drying or standard preparation would be } better, considering diverse microorganisms present(diatoms, filamentous } bacteria, zooplankton, cyanobacteria, algae and protozoa). I've so far } only been able to find general information on SEM applications and the } problems of dealing with structural water, the info is also quite old. } Any useful libraries with online resources would also be greatly } appreciated. } Thanks muchly, Lindsay. Lindsay,
I don't quite understand what you mean by standard preparation. If you have a sample with organisms which are soft bodied, you usually take a smple and fix it in some way (Transeau's, Lugol's, for LM work, or GA, PFA then OsO4 for EM work etc.), then dehydrate thru an ETOH gradient, and critical point dry (CPD). If you are only interested in the hard structures, for example Diatoms, then other specific methods without CPD are avilable. You could avoid CPD if you use hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), but you would still have to employ some "standard" fixation regime followed with dehydration, then exchange with HMDS. The Osmium-thiocarbohydrazide (OTOTO) method has been shown to stabilize fragile structures while at the same time making them electrically conductive. A reference you may want to look at would be Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Students Handbook by Postek et. al. available thru Ladd Industries (USA). It has a large section containing specific protocols for fixing a variety of organisms/samples. ================================================= Greg Strout Electron Microscopist, University Of Oklahoma e-mail gstrout-at-ou.edu =================================================
Caroline Schooley Educational Outreach Coordinator, Microscopy Society of America Box 117 Caspar, CA 95420 Phone/FAX (707)964-9460 Email schooley-at-mcn.org
On Aug 20, Dave King asked "What's the EM Exam?" } } As an industry employed microscopist, I'd be interested to know } what the EM exam is that Kristin Becker asked about. Is it } related to government employment? } The Certification Program of the Microscopy Society of America (MSA) has been in existence for over 16 years. The purpose of the MSA Certification Program is to provide a means of assuring employers that holders of the certificate possess an acceptable level of technical skill in biological electron microscopy. Such a credential may be useful for job classification, for establishing salary level or potential for advancement, for personal goals and possibly for future use in applying for new positions. MSA provides the only certification of biological electron microscopy technologists in the United States, Central and South America, although similar programs exist in Europe and in Canada. Certification is not for everyone, since the process is both labor and time intensive and currently covers only biological electron microscopy. (The board is looking into the certification of non-biologists).
A written examination, administered two times a year (December and June), and proctored by an MSA member in the candidates' vicinity, is graded by the Certification Board. This exam consists of one hundred objective items covering: instrumentation, tissue processing, sectioning and staining, special techniques as well as photography, general chemistry, safety and history. A syllabus and reading list is provided in the application packet and the minimum passing score is 70%. One is permitted two attempts at this exam over a one year period. After a third failure, one must reapply anew.
For the practical exam (also accepted twice a year), the applicant is required to submit: stained grids containing sections of three different types of non-pathological tissues, a trimmed block of each tissue, stained thick sections taken from the blocks and at least 12 unmounted 8x10" electron micrographs. The negatives are also submitted along with details of the protocol followed and figure descriptions. The practical exam is graded by 2-3 members of the Certification Board and is permanently kept by MSA as part of the applicant's file. In the event of failure, one may resubmit a second practical within a one year period. A grading sheet detailing criteria used to evaluate the practical exam is available from the Certification Board.
The Certification Office has been contacted in the past by several state civil service boards about the procedures involved in certification of EMT's and some action at the state level for certification of technologists is anticipated in the near future.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: phone MSA at 800-538-3672 or check the WWW at: http://www.msa.microscopy.com/
#################################################################### John J. Bozzola, Ph.D., Director Center for Electron Microscopy Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL 62901-4402 U.S.A. Phone: 618-453-3730 Fax: 618-453-2665 Email: bozzola-at-siu.edu Web: http://www.siu.edu/departments/shops/cem.html ####################################################################
Michaela, We also have encountered difficulty infiltrating freeze-substituted plant material(pollen of Plumbago zeylanica). Our material was frozen in liquid propane, substituted in 100% acetone at -90C for several days, then warmed over an 8 hr. period to -25C, then to 4C, again taking several hours. Infiltration was performed at room temperature. The protocol used was a standard (2:1 acetone:resin, 1:1, 1:2, 100% 3X) schedule. The resin was cured at 52C (immunolabeling) for 12-14hrs. and was fine except for the interior of the pollen grain where it was soft and tended to explode when sectioned. We tried extending the infiltration schedule, using a different transition solvent (acetone, free radicals, LR White :( not good), and a variety of other things to no avail. The bottom line? We tried placing the material from the final 100% resin infiltration step into a mictowave oven and gave it two short bursts lasting 6 sec each. The pollen grains sank to the bottom of the conical centrifuge tube, we embedded the pollen and polymerized in a 52C oven for 12 hrs. The material sectioned fine, no problems. We are currently evaluating the pollen sections for immunolabelling suitability. Greg Michaela wrote: } } Hello can anyone help me? I am having resin infiltration problems using } freeze-substitution on leaf tissue from Myrothamnus flabellifolia. } } the freeze-substitution schedule used was: } } 1) samples were plunge frozen in liquid propane. } 2) samples were then substituted in 100% methanol for 14 days at } -82 C. } 3) samples were then placed in a cryochamber and the temperature } was ramped up from -80 C to -25 C over a 45 hr period. } 4) samples were infiltrated in two changes of 100% LR Gold resin (+ } benzil) at -25 C with each change for a duration of 1 hr. } 5) samples were then placed in 100% LR Gold (+benzil) at -25 C for } 16 hr. } 6) samples were then placed into another change of 100% LR Gold } (+benzil) for 248 hr at -20 C. } 7) samples were polymerized in a final change of 100% LR Gold (+ } benzil) under UV light at -25 C for 24 hr. } } The blocks polymerized fine but there seemed to be no resin infiltration } into the tissue at all - the leaf was a spongy mass contained within the } polymerized block of resin. } } Is this freeze-substitution schedule OK? } Is this freeze-substitution schedule suitable for leaf tissue? Is there } a tried freeze-substitution protocol for plant leaf tissue? } Are there any ideas on enhancing resin infiltration into leaf tissue? } } thanks for your time, Michaela.
As the manager of some ageing EM equipment, ever hopeful of funding etc., I would appreciate any comments on the usefulness or otherwise of the type SEM's which offer 'poor' vacuum in the specimen chamber so that wet/fresh specimens can be examined.
Our problem is that we do marine biology and most specimens come with a layer of salt water or, if dissected, then a film of body fluid. What happens to the surface layer - I know from cryo that after sublimation we are left with a driedsalt layer which can be unhelpful! Sometimes I have been known to rinse specimens in fresh water - that helps!
Any comments would be welcomed
With best wishes
Keith Ryan Plymouth Marine Laboratory Citadel Hill Plymouth Devon PL1 2PB England
Have you access to a low temp/high vac freezedryer ? If so our best preps of cultured cells (long traction fibres, delicate surface cell-cell contact projections and so on) have been produced from plunge freezing cells on 10 mm thin glass coverslips after fixing following a TEM protocol including glutaraldehyde/osmium/uranyl acetate stages. The plunging has to be from distilled water of course but as these cells are stabilised by the multifix sequence they're no longer osmotically sensitive. An overnight sublimation at -80C with a 10C/hr warm up the next day provides good results. The proof of the pudding is in the images (?!) obtained compared to CPD where the much greatear shrinkage due to extraction can devastate the structure (whether or not you take precautions to avoid water in the CO2 supply).
Good Luck
Laurence Tetley
} Hello all } } We have a problem with settled phagocytic blood cells from } the mussel (Mollusca: Lammellibranch: Mytilus) which } are ruptured after critical point drying . The cells have very } thin, delicate sheets of cytoplasm around the nuclear area } which almost merge into the background. These split but so } too can the thicker nuclear area. } } The cells are settled onto glass cover slips, fed bacteria, } fixed in glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with acetones (typically } 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100%) and then go into liquid carbon } dioxide for drying. I know shrinkage occurs in CPD but it } would be really helpful to minimise it!! All suggestions } welcomed. } } With best wishes } } Keith Ryan } Plymouth Marine Laboratory } Citadel Hill } Plymouth } Devon PL1 2PB } England } } Tel: ++44 1752 633294 } Fax: ++44 1752 633102 } e-mail: k.ryan-at-pml.ac.uk } PML web site: http://www.npm.ac.uk/pml } } } } } Dr Laurence Tetley IBLS EM Centre Joseph Black Building University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ
I was asked to review this announcement as to the appropriateness of posting on the Microscopy Listserver. Since it is a public & free listserver dedicated to answering questions about a program that many Microscopists use, I have agreeded to allow the posting. Thanks to Media Cybernetics for clearing it with me first.
Nestor
Your Friendly Neighborhood SysOp =========================================================================== } } Nestor - Here is the announcement we discussed last week regarding our new } email listserver. We would greatly appreciate it if you could forward this to } the } microscopy list. } } Thanks for your assistance - } } Scott Ireland } Media Cybernetics, LP } scott-at-mediacy.com } http://www.mediacy.com } } _____________________________- } } } } An Image-Pro Plus users automated email listserver is now open to } } subscribers! } } } } The imagepro-users mail listserver was created by Media Cybernetics to } } provide } } Image-Pro Plus users with an easy way of communicating with each other } } world-wide. } } The list should make it easier to find out about IPP solutions that others } } may have } } discovered and learn about what other IPP users are accomplishing. } } } } Once subscribed, members have the ability to send to the list - that } } is, when you send an email to {imagepro-users-at-mediacy.com} , you are } } sending to everyone who has subscribed. When anyone else who is subscribed } } sends } } to the list, members all receive a copy of the email. } } } } The imagepro-users mail list is a Majordomo automated list. Please send } } questions or comments regarding this list to } } {imagepro-users-owner-at-mediacy.com} . } } } } To subcribe, either: } } } } 1. Go to Web page {http://www.mediacy.com/ipplist.htm} } } } } *or* } } } } 2. Send email to {imagepro-users-request-at-mediacy.com} with the word } } subscribe, on a line by itself, as the body of the message. It does not } } matter what is put in the Subject field. } }
Perhaps an osmication step mught harden the tissue or use Parducz's Fixative which is 6 parts 2% Os tetroxide and 1 part saturated mercuric chloride. Take all prcautions as with osmium. } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } Hello all } } We have a problem with settled phagocytic blood cells from } the mussel (Mollusca: Lammellibranch: Mytilus) which } are ruptured after critical point drying . The cells have very } thin, delicate sheets of cytoplasm around the nuclear area } which almost merge into the background. These split but so } too can the thicker nuclear area. } } The cells are settled onto glass cover slips, fed bacteria, } fixed in glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with acetones (typically } 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100%) and then go into liquid carbon } dioxide for drying. I know shrinkage occurs in CPD but it } would be really helpful to minimise it!! All suggestions } welcomed. } } With best wishes } } Keith Ryan } Plymouth Marine Laboratory } Citadel Hill } Plymouth } Devon PL1 2PB } England } } Tel: ++44 1752 633294 } Fax: ++44 1752 633102 } e-mail: k.ryan-at-pml.ac.uk } PML web site: http://www.npm.ac.uk/pml } } } } } ******************************************************* Greg Erdos Phone: 352-392-1295 Scientific Director, ICBR Electron Microscopy Core Lab 218 Carr Hall Fax: 352-846-0251 University of Florida E-mail: gwe-at-biotech.ufl.edu Gainesville, FL 32611 http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/
To: Microscopy ListSer {Microscopy-at-MSA.Microscopy.Com}
Wow, what a response. Thanks very much for all of you who explained what the EM Exam is. I'm sure there'll be plenty of communication if it's expanded to include SEM and non-biological work.
I was wondering if anyone might have a good technique for the embedment of shrimp eyes. I seem to have an infiltration problem even with vacuum infiltration. I am using a 3% paraform.-2% glut in 0.1M cacodylate, pH7.3 for the fix. Is there a better fix to use for the preservation of ultrastructure? I have been leaving the eyes under vacuum all day before I embed. It seems like the eyes are difficult to infiltrate with the embedding resin. Do I have to remove the outer layer of the eye to get better infiltation and what would be the best route to take for this procedure? I appreciate any help available. Thanks.
I am having a problem with our Laboratory Microwave Oven, and was hoping that someone may be able to shed some light on this problem. We have a EMS-820 Precision Pulsed Lab. , 115V microwave oven, and it keeps blowing fuses of 250W 15Amp. I set the effect to 100% and a temperature restriction of 37 degrees celcius for the magnetron warm up time at 2 minutes. This may be the problem right off the bat, but I am not sure if this effect should cause a fuse in the microwave to blow. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also, since I am doing some technique development, does anyone have any comments, results or comparisons, on microwaving in hot spots as opposed to cold spots. My email address is carbyns-at-em.agr.ca Thanks in advance, Susan
We are in need of help on a repair problem. We have some beam-deflector moving parts which have become "sticky" due to partial loss of their graphite lubricant coating. Can anyone advise us on how to recoat them with graphite? Many thanks for your time.
Gill Bond Dept. of Materials & Met. Eng. New Mexico Tech
Another thing to try is drying from HMDS (hexamethyldisilizane, also as a tetramethyletc.). I've found that this can work very well with delicate cells. After the last 100% EtOH (which I prefer to acetone), transfer to HMDS by which ever of the following works best for you guys: 1:1 EtOH (or acetone): HMDS -or- \ 2:1 \ 1:2 \ -or- } all times = time for each change in 100% EtOH (acetone) 3:1 / 1:1 / 1:3 \ then 3 X 100% HMDS evaporate dry from last step at either room temp or 45-60 degrees Celsius. The evaporation temp seems to have the greatest affect on morphology, once the infiltration is good enough for complete replacement of the dehydrating fluid with HMDS. That is, you can "under infiltrate" (leaving some EtOH or whatever behind), but it's harder to "over infiltrate". Phil } Perhaps an osmication step mught harden the tissue or use Parducz's Fixative } which is 6 parts 2% Os tetroxide and 1 part saturated mercuric chloride. } Take all prcautions as with osmium. } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } Hello all } } } } We have a problem with settled phagocytic blood cells from } } the mussel (Mollusca: Lammellibranch: Mytilus) which } } are ruptured after critical point drying . The cells have very } } thin, delicate sheets of cytoplasm around the nuclear area } } which almost merge into the background. These split but so } } too can the thicker nuclear area. } } } } The cells are settled onto glass cover slips, fed bacteria, } } fixed in glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with acetones (typically } } 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100%) and then go into liquid carbon } } dioxide for drying. I know shrinkage occurs in CPD but it } } would be really helpful to minimise it!! All suggestions } } welcomed. } } } } With best wishes } } } } Keith Ryan } Greg Erdos
&&&&&&&&&&& Illigitmi non carborundum &&&&&&&&&&&
Philip Oshel University of Illinois Rm 74 Bevier Hall 905 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-3145 oshel-at-ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
} As the manager of some ageing EM equipment, ever } hopeful of funding etc., I would appreciate any comments on } the usefulness or otherwise of the type SEM's which offer } 'poor' vacuum in the specimen chamber so that wet/fresh } specimens can be examined. } } Our problem is that we do marine biology and most } specimens come with a layer of salt water or, if dissected, } then a film of body fluid. What happens to the surface layer - } I know from cryo that after sublimation we are left with a } driedsalt layer which can be unhelpful! Sometimes I have } been known to rinse specimens in fresh water - that helps! } } Any comments would be welcomed } Dear Keith, I have not had experience with ESEM's, but I have used an environ- mental chamber on the high-voltage TEM. I don't know what is commercially available, but I can tell you a few relevant details about our system. Ours is a differentially-pumped chamber, which has a reservoir of water (or, potentially, other liquids) and four apertures. The inner two separate the inner chamber from the differential pumping region, and the outer two separate that region from the high vacuum of the column. Water vapor flows through the inner pair of apertures and is pumped away, and the beam passes through all four apertures. The aperture size was selected to allow steady-state operation--water from the reservoir evaporates at the same rate as vapor flows out--and the pressure in the chamber is the vapor pressure of water at the operating temperature. The chamber stays at ~100% humidity; we tested this by finding dif- fraction patterns from catalase, which is irreversably disordered at { 95% humidity. We also cultured some PTK1 cells on gold grids, removed them from the dish, rinsed them with fresh water, blotted the excess until only a thin film of water remained (~10 A) and put them into the chamber. Some were left in the chamber for 1/2 hour and then removed and replaced into the culture dish without being exposed to the beam, and others were similarly left in the chamber then subjected to the beam and photographed. Only one edge of these grids was exposed to the beam, but there was x-ray exposure to the entire grid. Photos were taken with Lo Dose film, so there was less exposure than for the usual imaging conditions. Subsequently, these grids were also replaced into a culture dish. At least some of the cells on each of the grids were still alive after these treat- ments--of course, none of the irradiated cells on the exposed edges of the grids survived. The answer to where the water on your specimens would go is that at steady state it should neither decrease from evaporation nor increase from condensation, if the vapor pressure at the reservoir is the same at that at the specimen. This may mean that you would have to add a solute to the reservoir to achieve the same vapor pressure as sea water. Your specimens may also be less tolerant of a fresh-water rinse. Good luck. Yours, Bill Tivol
In response to: ----- Begin Included Message -----
We have a problem with settled phagocytic blood cells from the mussel (Mollusca: Lammellibranch: Mytilus) which are ruptured after critical point drying . The cells have very thin, delicate sheets of cytoplasm around the nuclear area which almost merge into the background. These split but so too can the thicker nuclear area.
The cells are settled onto glass cover slips, fed bacteria, fixed in glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with acetones (typically 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100%) and then go into liquid carbon dioxide for drying. I know shrinkage occurs in CPD but it would be really helpful to minimise it!! All suggestions welcomed.
With best wishes
Keith Ryan Plymouth Marine Laboratory Citadel Hill Plymouth Devon PL1 2PB England
Keith, some time ago I surveyed and tried to address the shrinkage problem. The best suggestions I came across were to use mordants (tannic acid, uranyl, TCH-osmium, to fortify the cells against shrinkage and to be sure the final 100% solvent dehydration is anhydrous. There were a few interesting papers you might look into:
D. Schroeter etal, A Procedure for Rupture free Preparation of Confluently Grown Monolayer Cells for SEM. Jou of Elec. Miscroc. Techn. 1:219-225 (1984)
K-R Peters & R. Pohl, Freeze Substitution of Chemically Stabilized Samples for Biological Field Emission SEM. Microsc. Res & Techn. 22:170-184 (1992)
H. Gamliel, Optimum fixation conditions may allow air drying of soft biological specimens with minimal cell shrinkage and maximum preservation of surface features. Scanning Elect. Microsc. 1985; IV: 1649-1662.
L. Wollweber, etal. The use of a simple method to avoid cell shrinkage during SEM preparation. J Microsc. 121 (2) 185-189 (1981)
good luck
Ed Basgall, PhD Dept of Chem Penn State Univ. University Park, PA 16802
} I was wondering if anyone might have a good technique for the embedment } of shrimp eyes.
I deal with rather bigger eyes here; the smallest I've had are mice. There is absolutely no way that any whole intact eye that I've come across can be effectively fixed or embedded. Shrimp eyes, though smaller, may be the same. When you consider the structure of the outer layers, the eye is obviously designed to for toughness and impermeability. Even the outer layers of a cut up eye are hard to embed nicely. The best way to fix/embed whole eyes is to make a slit across the anterior chamber and allow the fixative etc to get to the tissue from the inside. Obviously, continuous agitation is needed to allow the chemicals in and out. If you don't need the eye intact, dissect out the tissue of interest. In particular, throw away the outer collagenous layers if you don't need them and it will all be a lot easier. Oh, I use 2.5% glut + paraf. in cacodylate and have for years. Let me know if you need any help.
Diana van Driel Dept Ophthalmology Sydney University C09 AUSTRALIA 2006
Message-Id: {199608220423.AAA15788-at-mime2.prodigy.com} X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae02dm02sc04
-- [ From: Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] --
There is another approach and that is to accredit the laboratory for the work that is actually being done rather than to certify individuals. This might in fact be the only path possible presently for those doing things other than life science TEM work.
The organization currently accrediting microscopy laboratories to the standard of ISO Guide 25 is the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). You can get to their website via the SPI home page, clicking on "Other WWW Sites of Interest to Microscopy and Microanalysis People" (toward the bottom of the page).
There are two other sites of interest to microscopy people that are linked to that same page:
ALMA (Analytical Laboratory Managers Association) and ACIL (American Council of Independent Laboratories.
With all of the concern about laboratory financing, and the "business" aspects of running a major microscopy facility, I have found ALMA membership especially valuable. It is great for networking with other laboratory managers from all over the USA and some from even outside the USA.
ACIL is the main organization representing for-profit tax-paying independent analytical and testing laboratories and they have their own set of programs to benefit such laboratories. It represents a fantastic opportunity for networking for anyone offering laboratory services as a business.
If the issue is really one of quality, and the ability to be recognized for such quality, one might do well to investigate the A2LA accreditation program for their laboratory.
Chuck
====================================================== Charles A. Garber, Ph. D. Ph: 1-(610)-436-5400 President 1-(800)-2424-SPI SPI SUPPLIES FAX: 1-(610)-436-5755 PO BOX 656 e-mail: GVKM07A-at-prodigy. com West Chester, PA 19381-0656 USA Customer Service: spi2spi-at-2spi. com
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Is there a supplier (other than Alltech) who stock grids that are marked in some way i.e. with numbers or letter? Preferably hexagonal and 200 or 300 mesh.
Hi Everybody: I would appreciate some input from anybody with the experience about Nikon's image analysis and morphometric system named "Lucia". The representatives of the system are here today at our Department and would want to convince us that it is worth buying their system. I know that all little bugs and inconveniences only appear during staedy use of a software like that. In addition, they are willing to sell the software only with their hardware and that gives me second thougths Is there anybody out there who has already tried this software? Please advise me and be critical. Thanks in advance Peter P. Molnar e-mail: molnarp-at-lib.dote.hu
Call EMS about the microwave fuse problem. They should be more than willing to help out. As to the hot\cold spots, I would use the cold, to "cool" areas and not the hot spots. Obtain a copy of Kok and Boon's Microwave Cookbook, this is a very good reference.
Best of Luck, Ed Calomeni Medical College of Ohio Toledo, OH emlab-at-opus.mco.edu
} temperature restriction of 37 degrees celcius for the magnetron warm
} up time at 2 minutes. I am
} not sure if this effect should cause a fuse in the microwave to blow.
} Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
If a microwave oven's power is on while it is unloaded (e.g., no water load or missing its glass tray) than a safety fuse may open (i.e., blow) in order to protect the magnetron from overheating and damage.
} Also, since I am doing some technique development, does anyone have
} any comments, results or comparisons, on microwaving in hot spots as
} opposed to cold spots.
The answer to the question about "hot and cold spots" is specific to the sample and the goal of the procedure (i.e., staining, fixation, or embedding). I recently reviewed this issue in {fontfamily} {param} Geneva {/param} G.R. Login, N. Tanda and A.M. Dvorak, "Calibrating and standardizing microwave ovens for microwave-accelerated specimen preparation. A review.," Cell Vision, 3, 172-179 (1996). {/fontfamily} For example, the advantages of fixing tissues for LM or EM in "hot spots" in the microwave oven are increased speed of specimen handling and decreased exposure time to hot immersion solutions. (Fixing tissues in "cold spots" extends their dwelling time in hot fixatives which may superimpose conductive heating artefacts on the tissue and decrease antigen immunoreactivity- reviewed in {bold} {bigger} {/bigger} {/bold} G.R. Login and A.M. Dvorak, "Methods of microwave fixation for microscopy. A review of research and clinical applications: 1970-1992," {italic} Prog Histochem Cytochem, {/italic} {bold} 27/4, {/bold} 1-127 (1994).
I would be happy to advise you on your application- please send me a separate e-mail.
Hi everyone. I was just migrated to cc:Mail and still learning how to use it which explains why I mistakenly deleted Phil Oshel's recent message on drying with HMDS. I was in the process of working out a better method of transfer from ethanol to HMDS and would really appreciate it if someone would be good enough to send a copy to me at neuberd-at-baxter.com. Thanks for your help.
Microscopy listserve readers: Is anyone aware of a company or vendor that makes or sells masks which are placed on substrates (ie:carbon planchet) before metal evaporation (ie:Au, Al) which leave a grid structure in the evaporated metal on the substrate? Size would be 2mm square to 12 mm square. If you can suggest a supplier or any leads on a manufacturer please contact me at scott.wight-at-nist.gov Thanks, Scott
Scott Wight e-mail: SCOTT.WIGHT-at-NIST.GOV NIST - Microanalysis Group W voice: 301-975-3949 Bld 222, Rm A113 | fax: 301-216-1134 or 301-417-1321 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 \|/ disclaimer: Any opinion expressed is my own and does not represent those of my employer. Web Page: http://www-sims.nist.gov/Division/MicroGroup.html
In a message dated 96-08-22 13:48:00 EDT, scott.wight-at-nist.gov (Scott Wight) writes:
{ { Subj: metal evaporation mask Date: 96-08-22 13:48:00 EDT From: scott.wight-at-nist.gov (Scott Wight) To: microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com
Microscopy listserve readers: Is anyone aware of a company or vendor that makes or sells masks which are placed on substrates (ie:carbon planchet) before metal evaporation (ie:Au, Al) which leave a grid structure in the evaporated metal on the substrate? Size would be 2mm square to 12 mm square. If you can suggest a supplier or any leads on a manufacturer please contact me at scott.wight-at-nist.gov Thanks, Scott } }
Scott, We use Towne Technologies, in Somerville, New Jersey (908-722-9500) for the fabrication of our masks for CV-Dot systems.
James Campbell Marketing Manager Denton Vacuum, Inc 609-439-9100 Fax 609-439-9111 j_campbell-at-dentonvacuum.com www.dentonvacuum.com August 22, 1996 2:25 pm
Dr. Steven Barlow EM Facility/Biology Dept. San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Dr. San Diego, CA 92182-4614 phone: (619)594-4523 fax:(619)594-5676 email:sbarlow-at-sunstroke.sdsu.edu
Dr. Steven Barlow EM Facility/Biology Dept. San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Dr. San Diego, CA 92182-4614 phone: (619)594-4523 fax:(619)594-5676 email:sbarlow-at-sunstroke.sdsu.edu
} } Bill } Would you not expect a considerable temperature increase where your } beam is, and therefore a (regional) RH of far less than 100%? } Dear Stephan, Yes, there is probably a considerable local temperature increase, but this is minimized by the use of low-dose imaging. The local water vapor pressure probably doesn't change too much, since the water-vapor currents will keep the pressure uniform. One thing to remember is that there is no air--only water--in the set-up we use. Under these conditions, there is neither net condensation nor evap- oration, so the thin aqueous film on wet specimens stays the same. The catalase ED shows that the order is preserved for at least 100 sec--the length of the exposure of the film--since the pattern is still visible after the picture is taken. Yours, Bill Tivol
I am a recruiter with the firm of Michigan Search Plus in Farmington Hills, MI.
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Programmers are being sought for a manufacturer and international marketer of high value fluorescence microscopy imaging equipment. Instruments consist of analog and digital components and uses extensive data base to generate 2 & 3-D images, conduct kinetic studies, etc. Requires 2+ years of programming experience with Windows, C++, objective oriented design and Microsoft Foundation Classes. Compensation $55K +/-, plus full benefits and relocation assistance.
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Please post, e-mail, etc, this message as you deem fit.
Is there any way of controlling or preventing specimen curling during processing for TEM? My tissue (Drosophila larva) is about 1mm wide by 3-4mm long by 1/4 mm thick. Most of the curling takes place during ethanol dehydration, especially from 70%. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Comment on the Definition of "hot and cold spots" in a microwave oven.
These are jargon terms and they are misleading. I apologize for any confusion I caused by using these terms in an e-mail message I sent earlier today.
"Hot and cold spots" loosely refer to the varying electric field pattern of microwave energy in a microwave oven. "Hot spots" have a measurably higher field than "cold spots". Although, biological samples can heat faster in higher electric fields, samples will be Heated in "hot and in cold spots"!
Knowing the location of nonuniform fields is of practical importance for reproducibly heating samples. Nonuniform fields are present in ALL household and laboratory microwave ovens (even ovens with turn tables)!!
Using a Neon Bulb Array (available from several distributors of microscopy products), you can visualize the location of hot and cold spots in any microwave oven. Other tools such as Agar Saline-Giemsa Blocks are useful for predicting nonuniform heating patterns within a biological sample. Using these tools, intelligent decisions can be made for reproducible sample placement within a microwave oven.
References are available upon request.
Dr. Gary R. Login Dept. Pathology Beth Israel Hospital 330 Brookline Avenue Boston, MA 02215
I have not heard of Javelin microscopes however we have a Javelin TV camera used with a microscope.The manufacturer was Javelin Electronics in Torrance, CA, USA, (800) 421-2716. Our vendor was Technical Instrument Co. in San Francisco (415) 431-8231. Hope this helps.
Larry Ackerman mishot-at-itsa.ucsf.edu The Laboratories of Lily & Yuh Nung Jan Voice (415) 476-8751 Howard Hughes Medical Institute UCSF, Box 0724, Rm U426 FAX (415) 476-5774 533 Parnassus Ave. San Francisco, CA 94143
In message {v02140b00ae4218182db1-at-[129.6.98.75]} Scott Wight writes: } Microscopy listserve readers: } Is anyone aware of a company or vendor that makes or sells masks which are } placed on substrates (ie:carbon planchet) before metal evaporation (ie:Au, } Al) which leave a grid structure in the evaporated metal on the substrate? } Size would be 2mm square to 12 mm square. If you can suggest a supplier or } any leads on a manufacturer please contact me at scott.wight-at-nist.gov } Thanks, Scott } } Scott Wight e-mail: SCOTT.WIGHT-at-NIST.GOV } NIST - Microanalysis Group W voice: 301-975-3949 } Bld 222, Rm A113 | fax: 301-216-1134 or 301-417-1321 } Gaithersburg, MD 20899 \|/ disclaimer: } Any opinion expressed is my own and does not represent those of my employer. } Web Page: http://www-sims.nist.gov/Division/MicroGroup.html
Scott, Try Buckbee-Mears, 278 E. 7th st., St. Paul, MN. (612)228-6425, 228-6572FAX. Dave Finegan is East Coast representative. They make many kinds of metal mesh that might work for you.
Happy hunting!
Gib
Gib Ahlstrand, MMS Newsletter Editor Electron Optical Facility, University of Minnesota, Dept. Plant Pathology 495 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108 (612)625-8249 612-625-9728 FAX, giba-at-puccini.crl.umn.edu
"MICROSCOPY & MICROANALYSIS 96" in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aug.11-15, 1996 Over, but not forgotten, and it was a blast!
Message-ID: {199608230344.WAA04570-at-IndyNet.indy.net} To: Microscopy list {microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com} , "SCOTT.WIGHT-at-NIST.GOV" {scott.wight-at-nist.gov}
I label whole retinae (app 300 mic. thick) for immunoEM using various antibodies. There is no problem getting penetration of the antibodies and gold reagent into paraformaldehyde or PLP fixed tissue, but as soon as glutaraldeyhde is introduced, penetration of the antibodies plummets. I can get away with 0.1% glut, sometimes, but no higher. Does anyone know of a trick to increase permeability without compromising ultrastructure. I routinely use saponin and have tried alcohols and freeze/thaw.
Diana van Driel Dept Ophthalmology Sydney University C09 AUSTRALIA 2006
Thanks to everyone who replied. I think my request has been misunderstood!! I am aware of the existence of finder grids etc. I'm actually after grids which are marked individually for the purpose of identification of the grid itself not as a reference point on the grid for the section. Alltech supplies 400 mesh square grids marked A-Z for this purpose. However, we would prefer 200-300 hex grids for the particular nature of the work we do.
Again thanks to everyone who replied as I continue with my quest!!!
I recently sent a message asking about black and white camera resolution. I don't think it was very clear so I am trying again!
I am trying to purchase a camera to import black and white images from an optical microscope to a computer. I would like to take these images and use them for image processing and for putting into reports.
Questions:
1) What is reasonable resolution. Salesmen are talking about 560 to 1100 lines resolution. I don't want to spend too much but also want the camera to stand up to developments in the computer/printer field (at least for a while!). Does anyone have experience?
2) What kind of board do I need to import into the computer. I know there are many on the market but has anyone had good/bad experience with a particular type/brand?
3) I'd also like to purchase a printer to make cheap, reasonably decent image prints for students in laboratories. Any preferences?
We are preparing to purchase a SPM and, as with our other electron optical instruments, would like to handle maintenance and repairs in-house after the warranty period. No particular vendor has been chosen yet but we have some favorites. All things being equal, repair history and service may be the deciding issue. Here's a few questions for those of you with SPM's.
1. What kinds of repairs have been necessary to your SPM instruments?
2. Are service contracts available and/or necessary?
3. What should we get from the vendor "up front" in the way of manuals, schematics, etc? This question could also be stated as, looking back over your shoulder, what should you have gotten when you purchased your SPM?
4. Any thing else we should be aware of??
Send replies to me directly, I'll make a summary available to anyone who is interested.
Thanks in advance.
Owen Owen P. Mills Michigan Technological University Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Rm 512 MME Building Houghton, MI 49931 906-487-2002 906-487-2934 FAX opmills-at-mtu.edu
John F. Smiley, Ph.D. e-mail: jsmiley-at-nwu.edu Dept. of Neurology phone: 312-908-8571 Northwestern University FAX: 312-908-8789 11-499 Searle 320 E.Superior Chicago, IL 60611
Message-Id: {1.5.4.32.19960823123533.0087c720-at-biotech.ufl.edu} X-Sender: sdw-at-biotech.ufl.edu X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi Damian. I keep an archive of much of the biologic and computer related problems posted to the list with their respective replies. There is a file which I think you will be interested in. Go to the web address listed at the end of this message and click on the "Tips & Tricks" button. This will take you to the main menu and you will see another link to "SEM Techniques and Instrumentation" The fille is in there. If you do not have web access or cannot get the info, please let me know and I wil get it to you. Hope this helps.
At 08:54 AM 8/22/96 -0500, you wrote: } Hi everyone. I was just migrated to cc:Mail and still learning how to } use it which explains why I mistakenly deleted Phil Oshel's recent } message on drying with HMDS. I was in the process of working out a } better method of transfer from ethanol to HMDS and would really } appreciate it if someone would be good enough to send a copy to me at } neuberd-at-baxter.com. Thanks for your help. } } Damian Neuberger } Baxter Healthcare, Corp. } } }
Scott D. Whittaker 218 Carr Hall Research Assistant Gainesville, FL 32610 University Of Florida ph 352-392-1295 ICBR EM Core Lab fax 352-846-0251 sdw-at-biotech.ufl.edu http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/ The home of " Tips & Tricks "
I have an LKB Ultrotome Nova (not a SuperNova) that just started giving me some problems. The manual specimen arm control only moves the arm about one cm from the top position. It does not go down nearly far enough to activate the knife retraction and alarm. If I push it down by hand, it does reach the bottom of its range and the retraction and alarm are activated. The automatic arm control seems to work fine and does go through the entire range.
I've checked inside and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. The arm lifting band is fine. I might add that while I was away from the lab for a few weeks, the university, in its wisdom, turned my air conditioning off at nights and during the weeked. As a result the specimen arm (and other parts) had extensive surface rust. I've removed all the rust that I could see. Could there be some hidden rust causing this? Anything that I might lubricate?
The Nova is used mainly for teaching and the course starts in about one week, so I need to resolve this problem quickly. If I can't solve the problem myself, I will have to call in a technician. Anyone have any suggestions?
Marty Levin
Martin A. Levin Department of Biology Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT 06226 Phone: (860)465-4324 FAX: (860)465-5213
Dr. Bert Menco Research Associate Professor Associate Director EM Lab Department of Neurobiology & Physiology O.T. Hogan Hall Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208-3520 USA
That will depend on what YOU need. However if the video is NTSC, then you are fixed at 525 horizontal lines. Of the 525, only about 500 are available for image. The horizontal resolution depends on the bandwidth of the overall system. Low is typically in the area of 250. A "good" NTSC system can go (I forget exact) about 500-600 lines equiv.
Higher resolution video is available, but is not compatible with the average monitor/VCR, etc.
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What is an acceptable level of resolution for a black and white video camera?
We are trying to find out where we stand with regards to technical charges for preparation of samples for TEM. WE currently charge $250.00/ sample this includes processing, cutting thicks and thins, staining, and taking 8 to 10 electron micrographs per sample.
If anyone is willing to tell us what they are charging for similar services it would be a great help to us.
Message-Id: {9608240052.AA0220-at-pho903.sbphrd.com} To: Paula Allan-Wojtas {AllanWojtasP-at-em.agr.ca} , Microscopy {Microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com} {Beverly_E_Maleeff-at-sbphrd.com}
Paula: Here's a good reference, from work done many years ago when I was at the USDA:
Sapers, GM, Burgher, AM, Phillips, JG and Jones, SB, 1984. Effects of freezing, thawing and cooking on the appearance of highbush blueberries. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 109(1): 112-117, 1984.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Bev Maleeff SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals Toxicology-US, UE 0462 709 Swedeland Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 610/270-7987 610/270-7202 fax Beverly_E_Maleeff-at-sbphrd.com
} Of the 525, only about 500 are available for image Or even less, say 485. The usual "standard" way to digitize (i.e., frame-grab) NTSC is into an image with 640x480 (square) pixels. Which is not to say that the camera resolution achieves 640x480, but it cannot be better when digitized this way. Mike -------------------------------------- That will depend on what YOU need. However if the video is NTSC, then you are fixed at 525 horizontal lines. Of the 525, only about 500 are available for image. The horizontal resolution depends on the bandwidth of the overall system. Low is typically in the area of 250. A "good" NTSC system can go (I forget exact) about 500-600 lines equiv.
Higher resolution video is available, but is not compatible with the average monitor/VCR, etc.
X-Mailer: Microsoft Exchange Server Internet Mail Connector Version 4.0.837.3 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
What is an acceptable level of resolution for a black and white video camera?
We have worked with mosquito larvae with the same results. The curling is due to differential shrinkage in the EtOH. We have had to go to variable pressure SEMs where the specimen can be looked at uncoated. One is still limited to a short period of time until dehydration occurs. The real answer if one can afford it is the true Environmental SEM. We did that, I mean tried it, and it worked. Now if only we had the funds!! Before we tried all sorts of reagents to minimize shrinakge i.e. tannic acid, etc. etc., but there was always shrinkage except in the Electroscan SEM which uses a hydrated chamber. One could also use cryo but there is also problems with that. Good Luck, Judy M.
Judy Murphy, PhD Microscopy Technology Center San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: 209/474-5284 FAX: 209/474-5600 e-mail: murphy-at-sjdccd.cc.ca.us program web page: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/ElectMicro/sjdc.html
Is there any way of controlling or preventing specimen curling during processing for TEM? My tissue (Drosophila larva) is about 1mm wide by 3-4mm long by 1/4 mm thick. Most of the curling takes place during ethanol dehydration, especially from 70%. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Leo
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I recently sent a message asking about black and white camera resolution. I don't think it was very clear so I am trying again!
I am trying to purchase a camera to import black and white images from an optical microscope to a computer. I would like to take these images and use them for image processing and for putting into reports.
Questions:
1) What is reasonable resolution. Salesmen are talking about 560 to 1100 lines resolution. I don't want to spend too much but also want the camera to stand up to developments in the computer/printer field (at least for a while!). Does anyone have experience?
Do you need "video" or will "still" shots work? Video of this resolution is non-standard and quite expensive. A (direct) digital single frame still camera might be a cheaper solution, particularly if you can live with a resolution of 640x480 (x16 million colors if desired). Woody
2) What kind of board do I need to import into the computer. I know there are many on the market but has anyone had good/bad experience with a particular type/brand?
For video resolutions mentioned, GOOD capture boards are expensive - several thousand dollars. A digital still camera can usually download directly to a high speed serial port.
Not that I specifically reccommend them, but two examples of high res. video capture boards are Matrox and Data Translation. Woody
3) I'd also like to purchase a printer to make cheap, reasonably decent image prints for students in laboratories. Any preferences?
This is the really tricky one! For B/W images, with the appropriate software, a 600 or 1200 dpi laserjet will do a fair job (halftone) at a minimal cost per copy. For "rough" color print, 360+dpi inkjets could be used ( I don't reccommend). "Full tone" (8bit/256 shades of gry) high res. printers are available and produce near (B/W) photographic grade output. They cost 5 times (+) more than the 600dpi laserjet and the cost per copy is higher due to special "paper" requirements. The best color copy, should one need it, is produced by a dye sublimation printer. Copy is (almost) as good as photographic, but the printers are expensive (2-10 thousand) and the cost per print is in the realm of $3/print. Cheaper ones are very slow also. Woody
Message-ID: {199608241900.OAA19137-at-IndyNet.indy.net} To: Microscopy list {microscopy-at-Sparc5.Microscopy.Com}
Dear Readers,
We are needing some EM imaging (cross-sections) done on a thin film sample whose features are small enough to require an in-column type FE-SEM to get good quality pictures. If you operate one of these microscopes and would be able to take our sample, or if you know of someone with such a microscope whom we might contact, please drop me a line at the email address below. Thank you,
Regards,
Cam Sorlie
____________________________________________________________________________ Box 1932 Main Station T: 1 403 435 2167 Cameron Sorlie, President Edmonton, AB T5J 2P3 Canada F: 1 403 433 9376 General Microdevices, Inc. ----------------------------------------------- generalmicro-at-ccinet.ab.ca ______________________________________________________ Microtechnology products for science and industry
} Is there any way of controlling or preventing specimen curling during } processing for TEM? My tissue (Drosophila larva) is about 1mm wide by } 3-4mm long by 1/4 mm thick. Most of the curling takes place during } ethanol dehydration, especially from 70%. } Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. } } Thanks } } Leo } } Try making a sandwich of the specimen after glutaraldehyde fixation, using a solvent resistant large pore membrane in a swinnex filter assembly. I use silver membranes from SPI for this purpose. Then use a syringe to pass the different changes of solution through the sandwich. The pressure of the membrane ought to be somewhat controllable or you can put an extra gasket or two between the membranes to pack them apart a bit. I reckon this will retard curling. Let me know how you go. I use the system for SEM CPD of small filterable organisms.
I have had several people ask me about where to get Thumbs plus, the shareware program we use for filing thumbnails of images.
The software is from Cerius Software. We downloaded it via links from ZDNets shareware review page. This is a great source of information, reviews, and downloads of freeware and shareware. The shareware search engine can be found at http://206.66.154.152/index.html.
DISCLAIMER: I have no financial stake in just about anything- including Thumbs plus and Ziff Davis publishing.
I hope this information is useful Jay Jerome ************************************************************** * aka: W. Gray Jerome * * Dept. of Pathology * * Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University * * Medical Center Blvd * * Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1092 * * 910-716-4972 * * jjerome-at-bgsm.edu * **************************************************************
Materials Research Society 1997 Spring Meeting March 31 - April 4, 1997 San Francisco, California
ABSTRACT DEADLINE: November 1, 1996
Symposium J: Materials Reliability in Microelectronics VII
The inexorable drive for increased integrated circuit functionality and performance places growing demands on the metal and dielectric thin films used in fabricating these circuits, as well as spurring demand for new materials applications and processes. In addition to meeting performance and manufacturability requirements, these materials and processes must yield circuits that operate reliably for many years. Achieving these goals requires a better understanding of the relationship of thin-film material properties and manufacturing processes to reliability degradation mechanisms.
This symposium is a continuation of the series that seeks to foster this understanding. The aim is to provide a forum to bring together researchers from industry and universities to discuss fundamental mechanisms and materials properties pertinent to materials reliability issues in the manufacture of submicron integrated circuits.
Papers are solicited in the following and related areas:
+ Reliability of metallic thin films and interconnects - Electromigration in lines, contacts, vias - Stress relaxation and stress voiding - Metal microstructure: grain growth, texture, precipitate formation - Effects of microstructure on electromigration - Intermetallic formation and diffusion barriers - New interconnect metallizations/novel alloys; alternative dielectrics + Reliability of dielectric thin films - Physics and chemistry of gate dielectric breakdown, including breakdown mechanisms, intrinsic vs. extrinsic failure, and failure analysis - Reliability, yield and gate stack processing: growth conditions, substrate effects, impurities, cleaning and plasma damage - Relation of reliability to leakage and tunneling currents, charge trapping and defect generation - Special reliability considerations for ultrathin ( { 5nm) gate dielectrics - Materials issues in hot-carrier reliability + Mechanical stress and strains in films, lines and device structures: deformation, fracture, adhesion, simulation and modeling. + Novel analytical and measurement techniques + Reliability modeling and simulations
Joint sessions are planned with Symposium I: "Polycrystalline Thin Films III: Structure, Texture, Properties, and Applications", and Symposium P: "Science and Technology of Semiconductor Surface Preparation"
A partial list of invited speakers: David Clarke (UCSB) W.W. Gerberich (University of Minnesota) Qing Ma (Intel) J. Meindl (Georgia Tech University) Wayne Paulson (Motorola) Klaus Schuegraf (Micron) M. Thouless (University of Michigan) A.H. Verbruggen (Delft University) W.L. Brown (Bell Laboratories) J.E. Greene (University of Illinois) C.V. Thompson (MIT)
Abstract information can be accessed through the MRS Website:
http://www.mrs.org/meetings/spring97/cfp/
Click on "abstract submission guidelines".
For further information, please contact Robert Keller (address, phone, email given below).
============================================================================== Robert R. Keller National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Reliability Division, 853 office: (303)497-7651 325 Broadway FAX: (303)497-5030 Boulder, CO 80303 keller-at-boulder.nist.gov
Hi Alwyn, We have been using the SEMICAPS system on hour Hitachi S570 for almost three years now. No problems, works nicely, we're completely content with it. The newer version of software is apparently even more user friendly. John (I have NO commercial interests in SEMICAPS--just a happy user.)
} Alwyn Eades eades-at-uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu } } Center for Microanalysis of Materials, University of Illinois, } 104 S. Goodwin, Urbana, Illinois, 61801-2985, USA } 217-333-8396, Fax 217-244-2278. } } We have a nine-year old SEM - a Hitachi S-800 - which we } would like to convert to digital image capture. We would } prefer to do this by buying a complete commercial package, } rather than by putting together a system of our own. } } If you have had such a system installed on your SEM, please } send me your experience and recommendations.
#################################################################### John J. Bozzola, Ph.D., Director Center for Electron Microscopy Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL 62901-4402 U.S.A. Phone: 618-453-3730 Fax: 618-453-2665 Email: bozzola-at-siu.edu Web: http://www.siu.edu/departments/shops/cem.html ####################################################################
Confocal Microscopy List {confocal-at-ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu}
Oops. I can't type worth a .....
try http://206.66.184.152/index.html
Jay Jerome ************************************************************** * aka: W. Gray Jerome * * Dept. of Pathology * * Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University * * Medical Center Blvd * * Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1092 * * 910-716-4972 * * jjerome-at-bgsm.edu * **************************************************************
On Mon, 26 Aug 1996, Elinor Solit wrote:
} Jay, } } In reference to your message on the Microscopy Bulletin Board re the } above, I tried the address in your message several times, and got not one } flicker of life. } } Is this correct: http://206.66.154.152/index.html ? } } Many thanks. Our bulletin board address is cambrex-at-world.std.com } } Elinor Solit } ********************************** } Elinor Solit } (http://www.shorenet.~catalogs ) } ********************************** } } } }
In regard to locating a printer program/driver, RT-11 / custom applications: Have not located such code and appears unlikely now that I will. I did locate one outfit who would generate a program, but for (about) $20,000!!!! A new EDS would be cheaper in the long run....
I did purchase a Mitsubishi video printer. One must be careful which video printer is selected, since the video sweep/sync from the Kevex (and maybe Tracor?) are non standard rates. Although I like color, it was not my primary concern for EM work. Given this, I chose the Mitsubishi P-78U. This printer, is full-tone BW, fast, produces relatively cheap hard copy (plastic "paper") and has a rather large (for video printers) format... 6 x 8 inches. Cost here was about $2750. Need to hook in series between computer and CRT.
Good luck all ... AND if anyone does find a driver program, I am still interested..
Woody White ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1
** High Priority **
Woody,
I am also interested to configure a PDP-11 to a PC. We have a TN-5500 system. Also let me know which video and/or laser printer would you select?
Thank you for the information, Regards,
Laszlo J. Veto Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis AAFC
We are starting to do immunocytochemistry in our EM lab using cryo sections and plastic embedded sections, and I have a couple of questions concerning both types....
1. Is it necessary to etch 1um sections embedded in Araldite for, say, glutamate ? and if so, I have a protocol already, but could anyone add their suggestions?
2. We are using Endothelin, and iNOS on frozen brain tissue fixed in 4% Para, has anyone tried these and had success? I'm getting staining with the iNOS, but the endothelin doesn't seem to work very well, and I'm wondering what i am doing wrong.
3. Does anyone have a working protocol for immunogold using glutamate, endothelin, or iNOS?
thank you.
Cheri Owen Detroit Neurotrauma Institute Detroit, Michigan FAX (313)577-7552
Does anyone know if the Nikon LS-4500AF 4x5 negative scanner is, in fact, the Leaf Scan (Scitex) unit in another skin? If so, can someone recommend a vendor, please. Thank you.
#################################################################### John J. Bozzola, Ph.D., Director Center for Electron Microscopy Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL 62901-4402 U.S.A. Phone: 618-453-3730 Fax: 618-453-2665 Email: bozzola-at-siu.edu Web: http://www.siu.edu/departments/shops/cem.html ####################################################################
I am looking for a calibration slide for light transmittant microscope. The slide should hold several absorbing objects with know optical density and size. Ideally, multiple objects with various size, optical density, and distances in a single transparant slide is desirable.
Please forward any info. to ruixia-at-afip.mil. Your information is appreciated. Thanks.
How are you doing? It has been a long time that we have not talked to each other. You must be enjoying life up there in Summerland. I heard lately that Michael Weiss will be joing you soon.
I am still working at the EM facility in the department of Oral Biology. Things has changed quite a lot here. I hope that I can handle all the changes before my retirement.
Talk to you again.
Andre Andre
Department of Oral Biology Faculty of Dentistry University of BC 2199, Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada phone # 822-2873 fax # 822-6698 e-mail andywong-at-unixg.ubc.ca
Mr-Received: by mta PDAV01.MUAS; Relayed; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 11:24:56 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta PDAV02; Relayed; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 11:24:56 -0400 Mr-Received: by mta SRVR01; Relayed; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 11:25:32 -0400 Disclose-Recipients: prohibited
Hi Cheri
I realize this isn't exactly the information you are looking for, but it may be helpful. On 10% formalin fixed, paraffin embedded rabbit iliac femoral arteries, I used endothelin-1 monoclonal antibody from Biodesign, Cat# H55194M at 1:400 with fifteen minutes of trypsinization with good results.
Good luck Wendy Rosebury Warner-Lamber / Parke-Davis rosebuw-at-aa.wl.com (313) 996-7375
Cheri wrote:
We are starting to do immunocytochemistry in our EM lab using cryo sections and plastic embedded sections, and I have a couple of questions concerning both types....
1. Is it necessary to etch 1um sections embedded in Araldite for, say, glutamate ? and if so, I have a protocol already, but could anyone add their suggestions?
2. We are using Endothelin, and iNOS on frozen brain tissue fixed in 4% Para, has anyone tried these and had success? I'm getting staining with the iNOS, but the endothelin doesn't seem to work very well, and I'm wondering what i am doing wrong.
3. Does anyone have a working protocol for immunogold using glutamate, endothelin, or iNOS?
thank you.
Cheri Owen Detroit Neurotrauma Institute Detroit, Michigan FAX (313)577-7552
******************************************************* Research Assistant in Bioceramic Characterisation
Applied Biocomposites Group Department of Chemistry University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ U.K.
Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant (grade 1B, salary =A314317) within the Applied Biocomposites Group, to work as part of= a small team on the characterisation of robust bioceramics. Funds from the EPSRC Nanotechnology programme are available for two years commencing 1st January, 1997.
A range of techniques, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and electron microprobe analysis, will be applied to the elucidation of the microstructural and ultrastructural architecture of the biocomposites as well as their crystallochemistry. Prospective candidates should, preferably, have experience of one or more of these techniques and the accompanying methodology of specimen preparation.
Part-time registration for a higher degree is possible. Further details can be seen at http://www.soton.ac.uk/~pw/abg/posts. Applicants should send their CVs and the names of two referees to Dr Paul Wyeth by 15th October, 1996; preliminary, informal enquiries are welcome (email: pw-at-soton.ac.uk).
The University of Southampton is an equal opportunities employer.
***************************************************** Dr Paul Wyeth
Applied Biocomposites Group Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
Try the following: http://www.capovani.com http://www.zeiss.com
===================================
} What Web sites buy/sell/trade microscopes & accessories? } } Mike Nicksic } menco-at-azstarnet.com
Russell E. Cook Electron Microscopy Center for Materials Research Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue MSD-212 Argonne, IL 60439 (630)252-7194 FAX: (630)252-4798
It is NOT the LeafScan 45. The two have very different capabilities. ======================== } Does anyone know if the Nikon LS-4500AF 4x5 negative scanner is, in fact, } the Leaf Scan (Scitex) unit in another skin? If so, can someone recommend a } vendor, please. Thank you. } } #################################################################### } John J. Bozzola, Ph.D., Director } Center for Electron Microscopy } Southern Illinois University } Carbondale, IL 62901-4402 } U.S.A. } Phone: 618-453-3730 } Fax: 618-453-2665 } Email: bozzola-at-siu.edu } Web: http://www.siu.edu/departments/shops/cem.html } ####################################################################
Russell E. Cook Electron Microscopy Center for Materials Research Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue MSD-212 Argonne, IL 60439 (630)252-7194 FAX: (630)252-4798
Dear All, Please help me to find E-mail address of Prof. M. Isaacson of Cornell University, School of Applied and Engineering Physics , Ithaca, NY ( address and institution valid as per July 1994) I can be contacted directly or via our network. Thank you Wis Jablonski, OiC EM/X-ray Microanalysis at CSL University of Tamania, Australia
Try Microscopy Online (http://microscopy-online.com/). This site is has a bulletin board for general postings including your area of interest.
Jeff Goldstein Nordcoff Associates
Try the following: http://www.capovani.com http://www.zeiss.com
Mike,
===================================
} What Web sites buy/sell/trade microscopes & accessories? } } Mike Nicksic } menco-at-azstarnet.com
Russell E. Cook Electron Microscopy Center for Materials Research Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue MSD-212 Argonne, IL 60439 (630)252-7194 FAX: (630)252-4798
} } Do you have any info regarding other EM courses that are given around the } country or where I can find out about it??? } Tracey Reynolds } } } Please reply to Ms Reynolds directly ******************************************************* Greg Erdos Phone: 352-392-1295 Scientific Director, ICBR Electron Microscopy Core Lab 218 Carr Hall Fax: 352-846-0251 University of Florida E-mail: gwe-at-biotech.ufl.edu Gainesville, FL 32611 http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/~emcl/
I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with a similar ability would also work.
TIA
Eugene Krueger GI Research Mayo Foundation krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu
It contains some large pictures, so the downloading may take some time, but the setup and some of the results we obtained are given.
BTW - Could someone send me the address or phone number for Alltech, the supplier of 400 mesh indexed grids (I've been using 200 mesh).
Peter.
Peter Markiewicz Voice (416) 978-4526 Department of Chemistry Fax (416) 978-6254 University of Toronto pmarkiew-at-chem.utoronto.ca 80 St. George Street http://alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca/~pmarkiew Toronto, Canada M5S 1A1
UNSUBSCRIBE MICROSCOPY Paulo Iris piris-at-baitaca.ipen.br
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******************************************************* Research Assistant in Bioceramic Characterisation
Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant (grade 1B, salary 14317 pounds) within the Applied Biocomposites Group, to work as part of a small team on the characterisation of robust bioceramics. Funds from the EPSRC Nanotechnology programme are available for two years commencing 1st January, 1997.
A range of techniques, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and electron microprobe analysis, will be applied to the elucidation of the microstructural and ultrastructural architecture of the biocomposites as well as their crystallochemistry. Prospective candidates should, preferably, have experience of one or more of these techniques and the accompanying methodology of specimen preparation.
Part-time registration for a higher degree is possible. Further details can be seen at http://www.soton.ac.uk/~pw/abg/posts. Applicants should send their CVs and the names of two referees to Dr Paul Wyeth by 15th October, 1996; preliminary, informal enquiries are welcome (email: pw-at-soton.ac.uk).
The University of Southampton is an equal opportunities employer.
***************************************************** Dr Paul Wyeth
Applied Biocomposites Group Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
We purchased such a tool at our local bookstore in the road map section. It is intended as a map wheel for measuring distances on maps. I have also seen them in travel supply and luggage shops. We use ours in several measuring situations. However, for measuring circumferences of irregular objects the stereological point counting procedure still works better. Although it gives aggregate data (total circumference for a group of objects and only a relative measure (i.e. distance per area) you can mathematically calculate the distance if you know the area.
Jay Jerome ************************************************************** * aka: W. Gray Jerome * * Dept. of Pathology * * Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University * * Medical Center Blvd * * Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1092 * * 910-716-4972 * * jjerome-at-bgsm.edu * **************************************************************
On 28 Aug 1996, Krueger, Eugene wrote:
} I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some } kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a } rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate } one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with } a similar ability would also work. } } TIA } } Eugene Krueger } GI Research } Mayo Foundation } krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu }
Thank you, All, for your fantastic response to my enquires about Prof. Isaacson E-mail address. I got now four different versions of it and will try the lot.. Thanks again, Wis Jablonski, University of Tasmania
For informational and reference purposes Nikon Inc. would like to invite you to visit our new WEB site at http://www.nikonusa.com
Join us in our world wide introduction of the New Eclipse E800 microscope and CFI60 optical system.
Comments and requests can be made to me directly at NikonBio-at-aol.com
Thank You,
Stan Schwartz Manager, Biomedical Instruments Nikon Inc. Instrument Group 1300 Walt Whitman Rd. Melville, NY 11747 516-547-8529 Fax 516-547-0306 E-mail NIKONBIO-at-aol.com
Been there....have that.... In fact have 2 PCs which can read the 44s, but horribly inconvenient. Not allowed to hook-up to "rest of world" so networking is no-go. Also have aspect ratio distortion when manipulating 8000 data on PC with 3rd party software.
Thanks, however, for the reply..... Woody White
Babcock & Wilcox Co Lynchburg Research Center Lynchburg, VA 24506
I noticed your posting on the Microscopy forum and thought you may be interested in some software and hardware options available from Kevex. There is a software product called Report Manager that runs on the Delta or 8000 analyzer under RT-11 or TSX+ and allows the operator to convert Kevex image and spectra files to TIFF format. There are also hardware products which allow transfer of data files (TIFF, text, or raw binary) from the DEC RT-11 system to a PC. One such product is the PC Communications Package, using Kermit, but it is fairly slow at 19.2 kbps. The other product is SCSI based and can transfer an entire image file in only a few seconds. Customers who have upgraded to the Kevex Sigma analyzer find this especially useful for sharing files between the older analyzer and the Sigma. If you are interested, your regional Kevex Service office would be happy to provide pricing and more details.
It is NOT the LeafScan 45. The two have very different capabilities. ======================== } Does anyone know if the Nikon LS-4500AF 4x5 negative scanner is, in fact, } the Leaf Scan (Scitex) unit in another skin? If so, can someone recommend a } vendor, please. Thank you. } } #################################################################### } John J. Bozzola, Ph.D., Director } Center for Electron Microscopy } Southern Illinois University } Carbondale, IL 62901-4402 } U.S.A. } Phone: 618-453-3730 } Fax: 618-453-2665 } Email: bozzola-at-siu.edu } Web: http://www.siu.edu/departments/shops/cem.html } ####################################################################
Russell E. Cook Electron Microscopy Center for Materials Research Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue MSD-212 Argonne, IL 60439 (630)252-7194 FAX: (630)252-4798
We are considering establishing some sort of dial in connection between my SEM lab and a 4th grade classroom. The teacher wishes to send samples home with my daughter semi-interactively send images back to the classroom. They have a phone in the classroom and several MACs which are linked together with a very slow AppleTalk network.
I think we'd like to put a 28.8 modem on one of the MAC's to dial in to. The software issue is the main concern. Could anyone please make reccomendations as to some sort of simple networking software that would allow us to at least transfer the image files?
Thanks for your thoughts on this. Regards, John
-- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
We want to buy a used or a new dimpling instrument to make cross sectioning TEM samples, and a 1700 C heat treatment furnace. If you have any information please reply directly to me.
I appreciate your help
Sandy Burany, PhD Dept. of Physics & Astronomy Univ. of Delaware Newark, DE 19711 Email: 94765-at-udel.edu or xianying-at-udel.edu (302) 831-3515 Fax: (302) 831-1637
I'm looking for a Kevex 4505P pulse processor to resurrect a 7000 EDS system. If anyone out there has a spare or leads for me to contact, please respond to me directly.
TIA, Lou Ross
Electron Beam Analytical Facility 101 Geological Sciences Bldg. University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 (573) 882-4777, 882=5458 fax
http://www.missouri.edu/~geosclmr/ebaf.html
'Hindsight... foresight... sometimes we have no sight at all.'
At 01:17 PM 8/28/96 -0600, you wrote: } I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some } kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a } rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate } one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with } a similar ability would also work. } Hi Eugene-
The device you are looking for is called a "curvimeter" or "plan measure." We have several styles available in our catalog (on-line at http://www.ebsciences.com).
Best regards Steven E. Slap, Vice-President ******************************** Energy Beam Sciences, Inc. Adding Brilliance To Your Vision ebs-at-ebsciences.com http://www.ebsciences.com/ ********************************
What you're talking about is a map wheel. Aplace like the Sharper Image may have one, otherwise try a store that sells travel equipment. Unfortunately, I haven't seen one in the scientific catalogs. Good luck.
Karen Pawlowski
On 28 Aug 1996, Krueger, Eugene wrote:
} I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some } kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a } rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate } one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with } a similar ability would also work. } } TIA } } Eugene Krueger } GI Research } Mayo Foundation } krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu }
} I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some } kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a } rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate } one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with } a similar ability would also work. } } TIA } } Eugene Krueger
Try the yuppie catalogs like Herrington's, Improvements, etc., in th automotive section--items like this a sold for measuring mileages on roadmaps. You might also try the catalog ads in the back of "Earth" and "Natural History". I've also found such devices in the drafting section of art supply stores, architecture/drafting supply stores, etc., where the same items are sold, except now the official purpose is measuring perimeters, etc. on plans. Phil
&&&&&&&&&&& Illigitmi non carborundum &&&&&&&&&&&
Philip Oshel University of Illinois Rm 74 Bevier Hall 905 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-3145 oshel-at-ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (217) 355-1143 home
Hi there, I have had a number of requests to make available the presentations and documents used in the First Microbeam Analysis Society Topical Conference Microsscopy & Microanalysis on the World Wide Web. I have therefore created a number of Web Pages that feature most of the presentations that were given. They are in html, Adobe PDF and Microsoft Powerpoint (the latter two have free viewers available). To view these "Proceedings" files please connect to:
http://www.microanalysis.org/mas/mandmonthewww/
Comments, moans and groans and compliments to me jfmjfm-at-umich.edu.
Cheers Jfm.
John Mansfield North Campus Electron Microbeam Analysis Laboratory 417 SRB, University of Michigan 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor MI 48109-2143 Phone: (313)936-3352 FAX (313)936-3352 Email: jfmjfm-at-engin.umich.edu URL: http://emalwww.engin.umich.edu/people/jfmjfm/jfmjfm.html
Phil wrote: Please post responses to this question to the list, or copy your replies to me, I am interested in this problem myself. Phil
I did receive (not via the microscopy listserver) this response which I'm assuming Peter Guthrie wouldn't mind my forwarding. Thanks Peter.
} From Peter: Try Timbuktu (from Farallon Software). We actually use it to control a remote Macintosh-based image acquisition system. Timbuktu puts a mirror of the remote Macintosh desktop on your computer, so images brought up on the remote computer are seen on the local computer. Peter Guthrie
Also, Lou Ross suggested a shareware program called "Fetch". Could anyone comment on this? Is it something like "PC anywhere"? Thanks Lou.
To everyone else who could help with this problem, please post your replies to the listserver, as the problem seems to have applicability to a number of us.
Have a good day everyone. Regards, John. -- John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 Voice: 814-669-4474 WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
At 04:14 PM 8/28/96 -0500, you wrote: } Hello Jeff... } } Been there....have that.... In fact have 2 PCs which can read the } 44s, but horribly inconvenient. Not allowed to hook-up to "rest of } world" so networking is no-go. Also have aspect ratio distortion when } manipulating 8000 data on PC with 3rd party software.
Hello again, Woody. Kevex stretches their pixels vertically. They fit 512 pixels into a 4-unit wide screen and 256 into the 3 units of height. You would need 384 pixels vertically to get square pixels.
I have recently processed a few maps that we converted to TIF and shipped to a PC. My processing involves cropping off the unused right section of the image (it is there for my conversion software if not Kevex's), and then resizing the image to 384 pixels high to give the right overall aspect ratio with square pixels. It is a kluge fix, but it works for reports, and these images are small compared to what we collect on our newer EDS system. ---------------------------------------------------- Warren E. Straszheim 270 Metals Development, Ames Lab/ISU, Ames IA, 50011 Phone: 515-294-8187 FAX: 515-294-3091
* Wish to analyze grain boundaries of Alloy 690 materials; objective is to compare composition of grain boundary regions which exhibit differences in metallographic etching response ( 2% Bromine-Methanol Etchant).
* Interested in applying:
Main Interest - * SIMS imaging for element distribution
* APFIM atom probe field ion microscopy
* Analytical transmission electron microscopy of thinned foils.
** (Reference: MET & MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A, Volume 27A, Feb. 1996, page 327
We'd like to identify potential services vendors.
Need to define scope of the deliverable from each test and per specimen cost.
Larry W. Sarver & Terry R. McCue Metallurgical Analysis Section Babcock & Wilcox Research 1562 Beeson St. Alliance, Ohio 44601 (330) 829-7463 or 7427 Fax: (330) 829-7831 Internet: larry.w.sarver-at-mcdermott.com terry.r.mccue-at-mcdermott.com
Sounds like you are interested in some sort of planimeter. I have the address of a company that offered such a product in the past, but I have not had contact with them in recent years. The product was a Model 10 Lasico polar planimeter. Their last known address was:
Los Angeles Scientific Instrument Co. 2451 Riverside Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90039 Ph: 662-2128 (area code may be 213 or 818, not sure)
Good luck;
-Bob ******************************** Bob Citron Chiron Vision Corp. 555 W. Arrow Hwy Claremont, CA 91711 USA Ph: (909)399-1311 email: Bob_Citron-at-cc.chiron.com ********************************
I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with a similar ability would also work.
TIA
Eugene Krueger GI Research Mayo Foundation krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu
Well after getting a dose of Telepresence Microscopy at the MSA meeting, I have been bitten by the bug. There was much reference to Timbuktu Pro there for remote control and/or observation. It piqued my interest enough to check out such programs and to try the demos when available. (Timbuktu has a 30-day free trial version available through their web site http://www.farallon.com)
Trying it out, I see it allows for file transfers back and forth between MACs and PCs as well as the control and observe options. It also has a message capability which can drag along files with it. I have been duly impressed, and the $49 on-line price for the PC version doesn't hurt too much. It was $70 per copy through PC Connection. I have been using it over the ethernet (in IP mode), but it also works over dial-up with the right supporting software.
In fairness, there are at least two similar products: PC Anywhere from Symantec and Carbon Copy from MicroCom. The capabilities all look good. however, the demos were not quite as functional, and I don't think they supported MAC to PC communications. Prices were comparable.
BTW, can anyone tell me if there are certain window or screen displays that are not supported by such products? Some of our live acquition Windows don't come across well or at all.
Disclaimer - I have no financial interest in any of the above-mentioned companies. Kind of wish that I did. They look like hot products.
At 08:26 AM 8/29/96 -0700, John Best wrote: } Good Day Everyone, } } We are considering establishing some sort of dial in connection between } my SEM lab and a 4th grade classroom. The teacher wishes to send samples } home with my daughter semi-interactively send images back to the } classroom. They have a phone in the classroom and several MACs which } are linked together with a very slow AppleTalk network. } } I think we'd like to put a 28.8 modem on one of the MAC's to dial in to. } The software issue is the main concern. Could anyone please make } reccomendations as to some sort of simple networking software that would } allow us to at least transfer the image files? } } Thanks for your thoughts on this. } Regards, } John ---------------------------------------------------- Warren E. Straszheim 270 Metals Development, Ames Lab/ISU, Ames IA, 50011 Phone: 515-294-8187 FAX: 515-294-3091
I have a need to get an image of polyethylene foam cells in order to allow subsequent image processing for cell size, area, etc. I don't want anything but the 2-D outline of the cells -- no glare from the backs of the closed cells, for example. The magnification needed would probably be around 20X-100X, and the polymer is gray in color. I've tried using loose carbon black to render the surfaces dull black, but not enough adheres. I tried using soot from a flame, but again no luck. I suppose some type of staining or embedding would be the way to go, and wonder if the histologists in the group might have a technique that could be useful. SEM is available to generate the image, too, but I was hoping for a light microscopy method. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
Please Note: I am posting this position announcement on August 29 to get quick responses as the position is open immediately. I will be away from the office and not checking electronic mail until Monday September 9. Please send resumes to the address given below.
POSITION IN ANALYTICAL TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Corporate Research Laboratory Exxon Research and Engineering Company
The position will involve the use of high resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy for characterizing catalysts, polymers, engineering materials, and other materials of interest to Exxon. Requirements include expertise with high resolution electron microscopy, electron diffraction for phase identification, digital image processing, energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, scanning TEM, and electron energy-loss spectrometry. Experience with the materials science of heterogeneous catalysts is desirable for this rapidly advancing research program. Research in this position involves a multidisciplinary team approach which provides an excellent learning environment. Our laboratory offers advanced instrumentation for structure-property studies of complex materials, including a new field-emission TEM equipped with a rotatable electron biprism for electron holography.
A Masters degree or equivalent working experience beyond the Baccalaureate degree in materials science, physics, chemistry or related fields form requirements for this position.
Our research lab in rural New Jersey offers convenient access to Philadelphia, Princeton and New York City. Exxon offers an excellent working environment, salary commensurate with skills and experience, and excellent benefits.
Applicants for this position who meet the majority of the qualifications outlined above should forward a resume, publication list and two or three letters of reference to:
Dr. Mark M. Disko Corporate Research Laboratory Exxon Research and Engineering Company 1545 Route 22 East Annandale, New Jersey 08801
Please do not respond directly to this list server. In the event you need further information rapidly, forward electronic mail to me at mmdisko-at-erenj.com . I will however not be able to respond until sometime after September 9, 1996.
Question Set ONE: Our Lab is currently investigating the possibilities of incorporating microwave technology in Electron Microscopy. Would be interested in hearing from other EM labs using microwave processing for biological applications regarding the pro’s and cons.
Some questions I have at the moment are: How do you en bloc stain with uranyl acetate, what percent, how much time to microwave exposure, and the ideal staining temperature in the MW oven
Polymerizing EM blocks in the MW. Has anyone found a preference for using a water load? Any success with Embed 812 kit, were there any NMA problems.
Any preference with EMBED 812/Araldite 502, if so the time and power, i.e. 15 min 50% power using a 700 watt MW oven.
John Russ used a stamp pad to look at foam structure in bread. He pressed the bread on to a pad which made the cut surface nice and black. Worth a try.
Question Set TWO: Our Lab is currently investigating the possibilities of incorporating microwave technology in Electron Microscopy. Would be interested in hearing from other EM labs using microwave processing for biological applications regarding the pro’s and cons.
What is the better mode for fixation, time or temperature ?, i.e. time of fixation in the MW vs. change in temperature of fixative in MW, or a combination.
Does anyone have any methods for "processing" in the MW i.e. times, temp, etc. for buffer washes, dehydration (acetone or alcohol), infiltration schedules for biological applications, (liver, kidney, spleen).
Is there any way to increase the oven capacity (total number of blocks/day or blocks/run?
Some references state the importance of CACl2 or MgCl2 for fixation and post fixation, any thoughts?
There's a wide range of possible methods to do this. A lot depends on what software you and the school have allready. I've listed some possibilities
Has the school access to e-mail? If so why not simply mail the images as attachments. Choose an appropriate file format for the software the school has. (if they do not have appropriate software for imaging - download NIH IMAGE - http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/ - it's public domain and there are a range of versions for the mac - if the school has older macs use one of the older versions).
Likewise if the school has access to the WEB why not create some pages at your end with the images on them. Convert the images to GIF format and reduce their size as much as possible to retain reasonable images. (Adobe photoshop is a great program for playing around with digital images versions are available for Mac, Windows and UNIX - it is reasonably priced and I for one have found it extremely useful).
I hope this is of some help - without more information it is hard to be more specific - why not try speaking to the computing support at your end.
Good luck
Pete Ainsworth
} Good Day Everyone, } } We are considering establishing some sort of dial in connection between } my SEM lab and a 4th grade classroom. The teacher wishes to send samples } home with my daughter semi-interactively send images back to the } classroom. They have a phone in the classroom and several MACs which } are linked together with a very slow AppleTalk network. } } I think we'd like to put a 28.8 modem on one of the MAC's to dial in to. } The software issue is the main concern. Could anyone please make } reccomendations as to some sort of simple networking software that would } allow us to at least transfer the image files? } } Thanks for your thoughts on this. } Regards, } John } } -- } John W. Best ELMDAS Co. Email: jbest-at-vicon.net } P.O. Box 355, Alexandria, PA, USA 16611 } Voice: 814-669-4474 } WWW: http://www.vicon.net/~jbest
************************************** * Pete Ainsworth * * Dept. Geology & Applied Geology * * Lillybank Gardens * * University of Glasgow * * Glasgow G12 8QQ * * Tel : 0141 330 5505 (direct) * **************************************
Part or all of your solution may be found in a shareware product called CU-SeeMe, from Cornell University. There is also a commercial version available from White Pine Software in Nashua, NH. White Pine has a lot of experience in multiple platform communication.
I have no financial interest in White Pine, blah, blah blah...
The WWW page below is a wealth of information about the product. There are many links to K-12 schools that have done just what you are trying to do. I haven't used the software, but it looks pretty cool.
http://cu-seeme.cornell.edu/~WCW/
------------------------------------------------- Harold J. Crossman OSRAM SYLVANIA INC. Lighting Research Center 71 Cherry Hill Dr. Beverly, MA 01915 Phone: (508) 750-1717 E-mail: crossman-at-rd.sylvania.com
Our web sites: www.sylvania.com www.osram.de www.siemens.com
We are still taking our time deciding on how we are going to leap into the digital era so I'm looking for pros and cons on SEMICAPS , ORION AND THE LEAF MICROLUMINA.
THANKS
Debbie Lietz Electron Microscopy Suite Department of Biology Trent University Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8 Telephone: (705)748-1486 Fax: (705) 748-1205 email: dlietz-at-trentu.ca
Although I have not specifically tried this w/poly foam, I have prepared other samples for such an examination. This will work best if you have connected porosity. ....Impregnated the sample with a material (low viscosity) which had a different average atomic number, then cut or gring/polish a surface. Used low kV SEM-BSE to image the structure. This may work for your poly, but will be a real "challenge" compared to the specimens I had.
I have a need to get an image of polyethylene foam cells in order to allow subsequent image processing for cell size, area, etc. I don't want ...snip... Dave Stadden DRStad-at-Juno.com
Has anyone heard of a contrast enhancing stain for TEM on biological sections called ROTO? If so, I'd like to know more about it. A reply to the list would be very helpfull.
Dave Stadden wrote: I have a need to get an image of polyethylene foam cells in order to allow subsequent image processing for cell size, area, etc. ...
I recall seeing a poster at an EMSA meeting several years ago that provided an elegant solution for cutting through the foam samples to expose inner surfaces while minimizing distortion of the foam. The authors (sorry, I don't remember who they were...) impregnated the foam with isopropanol and then cooled the specimen to make a composite that could be esily trimmed. After trimming, the isopropanol was sublimed.
Best Regards, John
John R. Minter, Ph. D. Phone: (716) 722-3407 Eastman Kodak Company FAX: (716) 477-3029 Analytical Technology Division email: minter-at-kodak.com Rochester, NY 14562-3712
(* In case this is not an automatic subscription cgi, please add me to the Microsopy list. Please ALSO add this address to that list {matthewas-at-aol.com} . Thank you. *)
Hi Karen, Ruthenium Red/Osmium/Tannic Acid/Osmium. This is an ionic stain used for extracellular matrix whith the idea of stabilizing the stained matrix against collapse during room temp. dehydration by covalent cross bridging with osmium-tannic acid-osmium bridges. Careful washing between each step avoids non-covalently bound osmium black precipitation which are undesirable in TEM as well as in ultra-high resolution FSEM. Variations of this method with heavy osmium black precipitation are used in some preparation approaches in conventional SEM for the replacement of metal (gold) coatings. Klaus ************** } Has anyone heard of a contrast enhancing stain for TEM on } biological sections called ROTO? If so, I'd like to know more about it. } A reply to the list would be very helpfull.
****************************************************************************** * Klaus-Ruediger Peters, Ph.D. :Molecular Imaging Laboratory * * Director, Molecular Imaging Laboratgory : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Biomolecular Structure Analysis Center : htklaus/index.html * * University of Connecticut Health Center : * * 263 Farmington Ave. :F r e e Access to Differential * * Farmington, CT 06030-2017; U.S.A :Contrast Software at * * e-Mail: Peters-at-BSAC.UCHC.EDU : http://panda.uchc.edu/ * * Tel: (860) 679-3977; Fax: (860) 679-1989 : htklaus/DHP-Img.html#Software* ******************************************************************************
* Wish to analyze grain boundaries of Alloy 690 materials; objective is to compare composition of grain boundary regions which exhibit differences in metallographic etching response ( 2% Bromine-Methanol Etchant).
* Interested in applying:
Main Interest - * SIMS imaging for element distribution
* APFIM atom probe field ion microscopy
* Analytical transmission electron microscopy of thinned foils.
** (Reference: MET & MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A, Volume 27A, Feb. 1996, page 327
We'd like to identify potential services vendors.
Need to define scope of the deliverable from each test and per specimen cost.
Larry W. Sarver & Terry R. McCue Metallurgical Analysis Section Babcock & Wilcox Research 1562 Beeson St. Alliance, Ohio 44601 (330) 829-7463 or 7427 Fax: (330) 829-7831 Internet: larry.w.sarver-at-mcdermott.com terry.r.mccue-at-mcdermott.com
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You can make yourself an analog version of the tool you describe with a washer (wheel), nut, machine screw, dowel with hole drilled near the end to fit machine screw. I just made one in 5 minutes and it works quite well. Take a permanent marker and make a mark on the side of the washer for start/stop, attach washer to dowel with machine screw - not too tight it has to roll. Calibrate by running the washer down a ruler, divide revolutions into distance travled to get the travel of one revolution of the washer. Now you are ready to measure by counting revolutions. A machinist could make a better wheel with a known circumference, even press in a bearing if you wanted to get fancy. At that point it will be cheaper to buy a commercial map wheel.
} I need a tool (non-computer) that will allow me to trace a shape and get some } kind of distance travelled measurement. I remember a special pen that had a } rollerball in the tip with a digital readout on the shaft, but I cannot locate } one or even a catalog with anything similar. Please help!!! Any product with } a similar ability would also work. } } TIA } } Eugene Krueger } GI Research } Mayo Foundation } krueger.eugene-at-mayo.edu
Scott Wight e-mail: SCOTT.WIGHT-at-NIST.GOV NIST - Microanalysis Group W voice: 301-975-3949 Bld 222, Rm A113 | fax: 301-216-1134 or 301-417-1321 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 \|/ disclaimer: Any opinion expressed is my own and does not represent those of my employer. Web Page: http://www-sims.nist.gov/Division/MicroGroup.html
Dear Greg: Thanks for your query- I list my comments and references below each question. I think the issues are general enough in nature that a posting to the news group members interested in microwave methods will be beneficial:
} Question Set TWO:
} Our Lab is currently investigating the possibilities of incorporating
} microwave technology in Electron Microscopy. Would be interested in hearing
} from other EM labs using microwave processing for biological applications
} regarding the pro=EDs and cons.
Well controlled microwave conditions will enhance penetration of chemical fixatives within seconds. The following books are available in libraries and should be helpful for this application. Please contact me if you would like additional information.
2. Login GR, Dvorak AM. The Microwave Toolbook. A Practical Guide for Microscopists (Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, 1994).
3. Login GR, Dvorak AM. Methods of microwave fixation for microscopy. A review of research and clinical applications: 1970-1992. Prog Histochem Cytochem 1994;27/4: 1-127.
} Does anyone have any methods for "processing" in the MW
} i.e. times, temp, etc. for buffer washes, dehydration (acetone or alcohol),
} infiltration schedules for biological applications, (liver, kidney, spleen).
General methods collected from the literature are compiled in the book: Kok LP, Boon ME. Microwave Cookbook for Microscopists (Coulomb Press, Leyden, 1992)- Specific methods will need to be calibrated in your oven.
References on microwave processing:
1. L.P. Kok, P.E. Visser and M.E. Boon, "Histoprocessing with the microwave oven: an update," Histochem J, 20, 323-328 (1988).
2. A.S.-Y. Leong, "Microwave fixation and rapid processing in a large throughput histopathology laboratory," Pathol, 23, 271-273 (1991).
3. D. Hopwood, "Microwaves and tissue processing," USA Microsc Analysis, 1, 23-25 (1993).
} What is the better mode for fixation, time or temperature ?, i.e. time of
} fixation in the MW vs. change in temperature of fixative in MW, or a
} combination.
Both parameters must be carefully controlled for reproducible results.=20 I refer you to The Microwave Toolbook. A Practical Guide for Microscopists (Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, 1994) Chapter 4 (Measuring Temperature) =20
and Chapter 7 (Even Heating) for simple methods to identify the best combination of parameters for your applications.
} Is there any way to increase the oven capacity (total number of blocks/day or
} blocks/run?
Yes, use containers which are flat and which have a maximum depth of 1 cm because microwave energy (generated in laboratory microwave ovens) can only penetrate ~1 cm into an aqueous medium (Do not stack specimens). Using a large beaker of processing solution in a microwave oven is counterproductive because samples which are more central in the container are heated by conduction (contact with hot fluid) and not by microwave energy. Of course if your samples are small enough (~1 mm3) then conductive heat (via a hot plate) is just as effective as using a microwave oven for rapid processing. See the article by Leonard JB, Shepardson SP. Comparison of microwave and convective heating in rapid specimen preparation techniques for electron microscopy. IEEE Internat Microwave Symp Digest 1992.
} Some references state the importance of CACl2 or MgCl2 for fixation and post
} fixation, any thoughts?
This is reviewed in Login GR, Dvorak AM. Methods of microwave fixation for microscopy. A review of research and clinical applications: 1970-1992. Prog Histochem Cytochem 1994;27/4: 1-127.
0.75% calcium chloride and 2 mM magnesium chloride reportedly improve morphology (Login GR, Dvorak AM. A review of rapid microwave fixation technology: its expanding niche in morphologic studies. Scanning 1993;15:58-66), and antigen immunoreactivity (Ohtani H. Microwave-stimulated fixation for preembedding immunoelectron microscopy. Eur J Morphol 1991;29:64-67.). 1-10 mM Zinc Chloride has also been used with success (Login GR, Dvorak AM. Prog Histochem Cytochem 1994;27/4: 1-127)
} Question Set ONE:
} Our Lab is currently investigating the possibilities of incorporating
} microwave technology in Electron Microscopy. Would be interested in hearing
} from other EM labs using microwave processing for biological applications
} regarding the pros and cons.
Most microwave recipies are tailored for a specific microwave oven and usually result in disappointing results when used in a different microwave device. The most recent microwave methods literature emphasizes calibration of a microwave oven to facilitate adapting published recipies to your equipment. So, if at first you don't succeed please let me know- we can discuss the protocol in more detail. =20
} Some questions I have at the moment are:
} How do you en bloc stain with uranyl acetate, what percent, how much time to
} microwave exposure, and the ideal staining temperature in the MW oven
I recommend that you begin by following the protocol published for osmium tetroxide (it describes appropriate safety measures for handling heavy metal fixatives): Login GR, Ku T-C, Dvorak AM. Rapid primary microwave-aldehyde and microwave-osmium fixation. Improved detection of rat parotid acinar cell secretory granule a-amylase using a postembedding immunogold ultrastructural morphometric analysis. J Histochem Cytochem 1995;43:525-533.
}
} Polymerizing EM blocks in the MW. Has anyone found a preference for using a
} water load? Any success with Embed 812 kit, were there any NMA problems.=20
There are two approaches in the literature for microwave accelerated curing of resins: 1} Giammara's approach for flat embedding molds and 2} Giberson and Demaree's approach for Beam Capsules.
My suggestion for flat embedding molds is to start with 50% power for 15 minutes (100% will definately give you disappointing results). Also when using flat embedding molds, allow your blocks to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from their molds, and vent your microwave oven during curing.
I highly recommend using an appropriately sized water load for your oven during microwave curing in flat embedding molds (otherwise there is simply too much energy in a microwave oven and specimen damage from over heating will result). In addition, microwave curing in an uncalibrated microwave oven is very tricky and usually results in disappointing results (e.g., incomplete curing of blocks). Simple tools that you can make and a detailed description of how to use them to calibrate your microwave oven are published in the The Microwave Tool Book.
When curing resins in BEEM capsules, they are placed IN a water bath- temperature never exceeds 100 =B0C and curing times are ~ 75 minutes. =20 See the reference by Giberson RT, Demaree RS, Jr: Microwave fixation: understanding the variables to achieve rapid reproducible results. Microsc Res Tech 32:246, 1995
} Any preference with EMBED 812/Araldite 502, if so the time and power, i.e. 15
} min 50% power using a 700 watt MW oven.
Detailed information regarding curing times of various resins in a microwave device can be found in
1. Giammara B. Microwave embedment for light and electron microscopy using Epoxy resins, LR White, and other polymers. Scanning 1993;15:82-87.
2. Login GR, Dvorak AM. The Microwave Toolbook. A Practical Guide for Microscopists (Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, 1994). The book contains a table of curing times for resins tested.
Please contact me if you have additional questions and I will respond directly to you.
Might the students be interested in membership in the Microscopy Society of America? May I send to you or someone a batch of brochures (10?) promoting the Society? Hoping for a positive reply,
Larry Maser Meeting and Business Office Manager for the Microscopy Society of America
At 11:04 AM 8/1/96 -0500, Steve Beck wrote: } FALL 1996 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT - Transmission Electron Microscopy (BIO. 221-E2) } } NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE } } A fifteen week, fall 1996 semester, course in Biological Transmission } Electron Microscopy is being offered by the Biology Department of Nassau } Community College. This is a 4 credit course offered ONE EVENING PER WEEK, } Thursdays, starting at 5:30pm. Classes will begin on Sept. 5 and end on } Dec. 12, 1996. } } This is a "hands-on" course emphasizing biological specimen preparation, } ultra-thin sectioning involving block trimming, glass knifemaking and } operation of the ultramicrotomes (Sorvall MT-2B and LKB Ultrotome III), } thick and ultra-thin section mounting and contrast staining (UA and Pb } citrate), grid support films (formvar, carbon), student operation of the } TEM (Hitachi HS-8, Philips EM 300) and production of electron micrographs } through the process of black & white photography, and electron micrograph } analysis. Students will work on a chosen sample(s) with the goal of } producing a portfolio of high quality TEM photomicrographs of that } sample(s). } } The course is widely transferrable and the cost per credit is reasonable at } $78 per credit. } } More information about the Bio-Imaging Center at NCC, course descriptions } and syllabi, and the humble beginnings of a student gallery of EM } photomicrographs is available at our recently completed web site. The URL } is {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} . Any comments or } suggestions on the homepage would be appreciated - I'm somewhat new at } this! } } For those without www access, the catalog description is specified below. } If you have further questions, you should e-mail me directly at the address } below. } } Interested individuals should register early (prior to Aug. 15) since the } course is limited to a total enrollment of ten (10) students. } ____________________________________________________________________________ } ____ } } CATALOG DESCRIPTION } BIO 221: Transmission Electron Microscopy -- 4 credits } Prerequisites: BIO 109-110 or equivalent, CHE 151-152 or equivalent. } An introduction to the basic principles of transmission electron } microscopy including tissue preparation, microscope (TEM) operation, black } & white photography, and micrograph interpretation. The entire laboratory } is devoted to the development of skills and preparative techniques involved } with the operation of an actual transmission electron microscope. } (3 lecture, 3 laboratory hours). Laboratory fee applies. } ___________________________________________________________________________ _____ } } } } } } } Stephen J. Beck } Bio-Imaging Center/Electron Microscopy } Department of Biology } Nassau Community College } Garden City, NY 11530 } Voice Mail: (516) 572-7829 } Email: {becks-at-sunynassau.edu} } URL: {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} } } }
Might the students be interested in membership in the Microscopy Society of America? May I send to you or someone a batch of brochures (10?) promoting the Society? Hoping for a positive reply,
Larry Maser Meeting and Business Office Manager for the Microscopy Society of America
At 11:04 AM 8/1/96 -0500, Steve Beck wrote: } FALL 1996 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT - Transmission Electron Microscopy (BIO. 221-E2) } } NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE } } A fifteen week, fall 1996 semester, course in Biological Transmission } Electron Microscopy is being offered by the Biology Department of Nassau } Community College. This is a 4 credit course offered ONE EVENING PER WEEK, } Thursdays, starting at 5:30pm. Classes will begin on Sept. 5 and end on } Dec. 12, 1996. } } This is a "hands-on" course emphasizing biological specimen preparation, } ultra-thin sectioning involving block trimming, glass knifemaking and } operation of the ultramicrotomes (Sorvall MT-2B and LKB Ultrotome III), } thick and ultra-thin section mounting and contrast staining (UA and Pb } citrate), grid support films (formvar, carbon), student operation of the } TEM (Hitachi HS-8, Philips EM 300) and production of electron micrographs } through the process of black & white photography, and electron micrograph } analysis. Students will work on a chosen sample(s) with the goal of } producing a portfolio of high quality TEM photomicrographs of that } sample(s). } } The course is widely transferrable and the cost per credit is reasonable at } $78 per credit. } } More information about the Bio-Imaging Center at NCC, course descriptions } and syllabi, and the humble beginnings of a student gallery of EM } photomicrographs is available at our recently completed web site. The URL } is {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} . Any comments or } suggestions on the homepage would be appreciated - I'm somewhat new at } this! } } For those without www access, the catalog description is specified below. } If you have further questions, you should e-mail me directly at the address } below. } } Interested individuals should register early (prior to Aug. 15) since the } course is limited to a total enrollment of ten (10) students. } ____________________________________________________________________________ } ____ } } CATALOG DESCRIPTION } BIO 221: Transmission Electron Microscopy -- 4 credits } Prerequisites: BIO 109-110 or equivalent, CHE 151-152 or equivalent. } An introduction to the basic principles of transmission electron } microscopy including tissue preparation, microscope (TEM) operation, black } & white photography, and micrograph interpretation. The entire laboratory } is devoted to the development of skills and preparative techniques involved } with the operation of an actual transmission electron microscope. } (3 lecture, 3 laboratory hours). Laboratory fee applies. } ___________________________________________________________________________ _____ } } } } } } } Stephen J. Beck } Bio-Imaging Center/Electron Microscopy } Department of Biology } Nassau Community College } Garden City, NY 11530 } Voice Mail: (516) 572-7829 } Email: {becks-at-sunynassau.edu} } URL: {http://www.sunynassau.edu/webpages/biology/becks.htm} } } }
Requirements; Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering or Physics with hands-on expenence in experimental AEM and HREM of metalic and ceramic materials. Highly desired expenence with Jeol 2010 TEM and with image processing operations.
Task; Co-ordinate preparation of bulk and cross-section samples. Operate (and give demostrations to students) a Jeol 2010 TEM and a Zeiss 960 SEM. Strong and interactive participation in research projects involving detailed microstructural characterization of engineering materials and minerals.
Salary; According with experience, comparable to equivalent position in the US. Round tnp airplane ticket provided. One year or two years appointments with possibility of renewal.
Please contact and mail your resume to:
Prof. Guillermo Solorzano President Brazilian Society for Electron Microscopy C.P. 38090 - Gavea 22452 Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Thanks to all who contributed ideas about home-made light boxes. Attached is my personal favorite.
Bob Wise
***********
I used an old wine box.
Out here in sunny California* three or four-bottle wooden gift wine boxes are common and empty ones can be obtained from liquor shops for about $2.50. These boxes are about 10" X 12" X 6" and have a sliding top made of 0.25" wood, usually stamped or printed with the wine makers logo. Inside are two or three dividers or, sometimes, cut out bottle holders.
I tossed the sliding top and replaced it with an 0.25" sheet of translucent lucite plastic. I happended to have it on hand, but these can be gotten from any plastics supplies dealer. Usually they will give you scrap of roughly the right size. The plastic I had on hand was clear, so I sanded it to translucency. If you buy a sheet you can get a better quality of translucent plastic.
The box I used had two wood dividers inside (a 3-bottle box). I left them in and covered them and the bottom with a sheet of aluminum foil over cardboard to make a kind of curvy "W"-shaped reflecting surface.
Then I tucked three small fluorescent lights into the box, added a switch and a hardware store handle, and Presto! Light box.
*where I live, San Francisco, we've had fog and 60-deg weather for the last month.
Dr. Wayne Lanier 250 Ashbury San Francisco, CA 94117 TEL: [415] 346-4940 e-mail -at-home: lanier-at-slip.net e-mail -at-work: lanier-at-resbiom.com
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