MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 239 : February 2016 (ISSN 1365 - 070x) Monthly, next issue March 13th 2016.


Spirogyra, image by Wim van Egmond. But is this what Van Leeuwenhoek described?

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Please do not contact the above for image permissions. Each article contributor retains the copyright to their material so should be contacted directly via the link in the relevant article. Thank you.

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Contributions: Any modern format welcomed i.e. pdf. doc/docx with embedded images, or html + jpegs.

The riddle of the 'green streaks'. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek: In search of the first microorganism he described. - Wim van Egmond in collaboration with phycologist Frans Kouwets (both in the Netherlands) present strong arguments that there's a more likely candidate than Spirogyra—later attributed as the microorganism which he described in 1674. See In Focus note below added Feb. 27th.

Rediscover Lumipan, the superb black enamel Carl Zeiss Jena research microscope - Stefano Barone (Italy) shares an illustrated essay on this classic microscope.  PDF

Dendritic silver: Creating micro-trees - Richard Howey (USA) describes how to create attractive slides using a classic technique.

More Tuffen you possibly didn't notice - Peter Paisley (Australia) describes and illustrates further examples of less well known drawings by Tuffen West. DOC For optimal viewing please use a desktop screen with WP software that has a 'web layout' option to view DOC files. E.g. the freeware LibreOffice or OpenOffice.

Microsoft Picture Manager 2010: Worthy software for photomicrographers -  Alejandro Ariel Garcia Arriaga (Mexico) shows the versatility of this free software. PDF

Brightfield illumination. The basics of microscopy. Part 2. - Alejandro Ariel Garcia Arriaga (Mexico) presents further fundamentals, this month illustrating the effect of white balance settings in the camera. PDF

Household microscopy Part 4 - Richard Howey (USA) continues his series where he explores potential subjects in the home. This month, further chemicals found from around the house are explored including the effect of mixtures and how patterns vary on a single slide.

Reflections on studying Spirogyra - a classic school biology subject and plenty of interest for the hobbyist - David Walker (UK) shares aspects to study of this algae including images taken using a commercial replica of a Van Leeuwenhoek microscope and autofluorescence using normal transmitted darkfield and cheap filters.

    In focus:
    Wim's Riddle of the 'green streaks' article above:
    Wim's article and proposal was featured in an 'In the News Feature' on Nature Journal's 'Microbiology Community Forum' entitled 'Curly-wurly Blooms' on Feb. 16th written by the Forum's Editor Heidi Burdett. This news feed covers 'microbiology stories hitting the headlines' such as the Ebola and Zika virus. Well done Wim!


    'Meet the mysterious soil life'
    Our regular contributor Wim van Egmond is participating in an educational project requiring crowdfunding to make the vital importance of soil inhabitants in our life more widely known. Visit the site to learn more and donations to raise the required 10 000 Euros are welcomed.

    Lecture, London April 7th, 'Optical Microscopy: The resolution revolution' by Nobel laureate Prof. Hell.

    In London on April 7th the 'IET Kelvin Lecture 2016' entitled 'Optical Microscopy: The resolution revolution' will be presented by Professor Stefan Hell, the Nobel Prize winner. Wikipedia notes that 'He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 "for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy", together with Eric Betzig and William Moerner.' For further information and free registration follow this link.
    Thank you to Sarah Sennett, The Institution of Engineering and Technology for letting us know of this meeting.

    MICAM v2.0 released. Marien van Westen has released a new version of MICAM which 'integrates MICAM and DIGAM, so you can use it with a USB-cam and a DSLR'. Thank you to Marien for letting us know of this update.

We are delighted to receive contributions small or large from microscopy enthusiasts whether a novice or expert. If you have an image, tip or article, why not share it, this magazine is what you make it!

Archive
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External links. Below are some of our favourites, which includes sites with extensive links and/or resources for the optical microscopy enthusiast.

External Microscopy forums: Places to discuss the hobby or to raise queries.
www.photomacrography.net
forums, galleries, articles on macroscopy and photomicrography.
www.quekett.net/forum/index.php
forum for both Quekett Microscopical Club members and other enthusiasts.

Yahoo groups: a 'P' denotes current and archived messages are public i.e. not limited to members.
Amateur Microscopy P (started November 2008)
Yahoo Diatom Forum P
Microscope P (>1500 members, very active)
Microscopehobby
P (started Apr 2005)
Wild M20 microscope
microcosmo (for Italian speaking enthusiasts)
CombineZ P stacking software forum created by the software's author

Mikroskopie-Treff.de (Extensive German microscopy forum; some English categories.)
Mikrobiologische Vereinigung München e. V. Wide range of articles and resources in German.
Le Naturaliste French based forum and image gallery for micro / macro but open to non French speaking international contributors.

 

Other sites (also see Societies and Clubs page.)
Royal Microscopy Society Journal, 'infocus' and other resources for members and the community.
Quekett Microscopical Club Journal, Bulletin and meetings for members.
Light Microscopy Forum links and articles
Little Imp Publications public domain books collated by Steve Gill formerly on CD and now free on Micscape.
Mikroskop Museum German website with resources on microscopes / makers .
Molecular Expressions awesome optical microscopy resources
Dennis Kunkel's SEM images stunning images
Diatoms Ireland - resource site by Leszek Wolnik
Leitz museum an illustrated resource compiled by Robert Allen
Microbe hunter a free monthly microscopy enthusiast magazine edited by Oliver Kim
Microscopies online magazine and Forum for French speakers
Micrographia articles, projects for the enthusiast
Microscopy Today
journal with online archive
Modern Microscopy
online journal by McCrone Group
Fun Science Gallery projects, articles on optics
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
G. Couger's microscopy links extensive links
Lens On Leeuwenhoek - extensive resource online by Douglas Anderson
Collected Letters of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek ('Alle de Brieven ..') transcribed and free online at DBNL.
A Cabinet of Curiosities a resource on Victorian microscope slides by Howard Lynk
Klaus Kemp's 'Diatoms' website - offers regional strews and arranged prepared slides of diatoms, an 8 form test slide, radiolaria, insect scales etc and prepares arranged slides on commission.
www.viewsfromscience.com projects by Ely Silk e.g. chilled stage for crystal growth studies and LED fluorescence
'Diatoms Ireland' resource by Leszek Wolnik
Historical makers of microscopes and microscope slides Brian Stevenson's extensive resource .
Victorian slide makers
Cambridge rocking microtome resources including manual
www.willemsmicroscope.com Dutch enthusiast Willem Cramer's website
Stefano Barone's Diatom Shop sale of his own prepared and arranged slides of diatoms, radiolaria and forams.
Stefano Barone's 'Microworlds' blog regularly updated blog and diary where Stefano showcases and discusses the typical examples of the slides he has prepared.

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Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
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