MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 310 : January 2022 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue February 13th 2022.


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The colonial diatom Limophora flabellata.
Image by Jean-Marie Cavanihac.

 

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Micscape Contacts
 Micscape Editor:
David Walker
Email: micscape AT ntlworld DOT com

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.

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

Amazing exploration of a single plankton sample - Jean-Marie Cavanihac (France) illustrates the wealth of microorganisms found in a salt pond. PDF

The bizarre world of moth 'naughty bits' - Anthony Thomas (Canada) illustrates the striking variety of structures. PDF

Diatoms from an ephemeral lagoon Bob Straub State Park, Oregon, US - Rob Kimmich (USA) describes and illustrates the wealth of species found in a single, small sample. PDF

Variations from oculars - Christian Autotte (Canada) illustrates and discusses examples of the variations of eyepieces with the same stated magnification. PDF

Geometry of Diploneis crabro - Rob Kimmich (USA) studies the structure of this diatom frustule using a sequence of images at different focus planes. PDF

A child's garden of micro-wonders - Richard L. Howey (USA) suggests simple subjects and their preparation for the youngster or beginner.

Your horrorscope for 2022. Brought to you by the Malaprop Institute under the auspices of The Malaprop Foundation founded and funded by Mrs. Murgatroyd Malaprop - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares some fun suggestions.

Topical tip. Interchanging microscope maker's photo-adapters - David Walker (UK) tries a Leica stereo photo adapter for a full frame DSLR on a Nikon Eclipse 800 to minimise cost.

    In Focus: Internet Archive virtual borrowing library. The archive now offers more recent books still in copyright to borrow a virtual copy for a limited time. Examples include some classic microscopy texts that can be either expensive to buy or to locate library copies of. An example is the two volume classic 'Fluorescence Microscopy' by F.W.D. Rost pub. 1992. For fellow explorers of fluorescence either homebrew or affordable older commercial systems this is an invaluable work.
    The first volume describes and illustrates all the major maker's fluorescence systems, stands, filter / cube specs. The second volume's first few chapters deals extensively with the autofluorescence of flora, fauna and minerals - a subject have not seen discussed in such detail elsewhere.
    The editor has never ventured yet into fluorochrome use as find autofluorescence so interesting as have many other enthusiasts who show their striking imagery in online forums.

    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!

     

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External links. Updated April 2020. 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.

groups.io (formerly Yahoo groups):
 Amateur Microscopy
Diatom Forum
Microscopy as a hobby or profession
Wild Microscopes

Facebook groups:
Amateur Microscopy (>21000 members, very active). Also specialist groups e.g. for users of given maker's microscopes (e.g. Zeiss, Olympus, Wild, Vickers). Also try a Facebook Group search with keywords like microscope or microscopy to find these.

Other:
Microbe hunter the website ably run by Oliver Kim has built up a popular and valuable forum with help for both the beginner and more advanced user.

Listservers:
Algae-L 'Forum for marine, freshwater and terrestrial algae'. Access to Archives possible for non-subscribers.
Diatom-L 'Research on the diatom algae.' Access to Archives for subscribers only. Link was current March 2016. Many online diatom resources point to an outdated Indiana Univ. listserver. (With thanks to Rob Kimmich for the current link.)

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 microscopy enthusiast website, forum and 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 in English and Italian.
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
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.
'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
David Jackson's Better Microscopy blog. Regularly updated free resources extending from his 'Better Microscopy' series of books.
Stefano Barone's Diatom Shop sale of his own prepared and arranged slides of diatoms, radiolaria, forams and scales.
www.testslides.com website devoted to Stefano Barone's Diatom Lab test slides.
Darwin Biological a UK company for 'biological education' supplies. Including live cultures of protozoa and algae.
Microscopie van de Natuur Dutch microscopy resource site by Rolf Vossen.
 

Microscopy-UK
 parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith

Microscopy-UK and Micscape - established 1995
Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
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