MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 307 : October 2021 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue November 13th 2021.



A 3D printed rotating stage.
Image by Steve Cuthbert.

 

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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.

A beginner's journey into microscopy with a little help from a 3D printer! - Steve Cuthbert (UK) shows how such a printer can create various items of use in microscopy. PDF

Microorganisms: The foundation of aquatic ecosystems in a Northwest U.S. city's parks: A snapshot of the invisible world. Part 2: Introduction, location and methods and materials - David B. Richman (USA) and Mary Ann Tiffany (USA) continue their series on exploring the micro flora and fauna of selected local marine and freshwater habitats. PDF

The poor man rock thin section - Christian Autotte (Canada) illustrates how naturally occurring deposits of mica can be fascinating to study with little preparation. PDF

What is eating my potatoes? - Jennie Lawrence (USA) investigates. PDF

How to make easily vegetal slices - Jean-Marie Cavanihac (France) uses the late Walter Dioni's double razor blade to study plant sections. PDF

Microscopical exploration eleven. An investigation into the crystal structures of commercially available aspirin brands following recrystallization from solution at high concentration in ethyl ethanoate - James Stewart (UK) PDF

The air we breathe - Michael Reese Much (USA) uses glycerine smeared slides outdoors to collect and study airborne materials. PDF

Calcareous part 3: Starfish and beyond - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares further striking examples from nature.

Strychnine revisited - prompted by the 2021 Nobel Prize awarded for chemistry - David Walker (UK) explores a Victorian papered slide of this chemical and marvels at the small molecule's complexity and the challenges it has posed until recently to synthesise.

    In Focus: www.downthescope.co.uk is a valuable resource created by Peter Richards-Bios using a digital pathology Leica Aperio microscope slide scanner to share hi-res images and supporting information. Perhaps readers can help with his queries as well as visiting his site (where his contact details can be found). He writes:

    My name's Peter, I'm a resident in veterinary pathology at the University of Liverpool. Over the last two years I've been getting into invertebrate histology and was frustrated by the lack of resources available that discussed invertebrate histology, anatomy and physiology outside of dense experimental studies.

    To remedy the lack of resource available I decided to scan my own collection of histology slides from various animals and make them available on the internet via a website that I created (www.downthescope.co.uk). I also have an accompanying YouTube channel where I use the slides to make videos explaining the histology and how it relates to physiology of these animals (I recently made this short video on snail kidneys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtA57Xslw1o).

    I'm looking to expand the offering of slides on the website. Do you know of any sources of either whole insect mounts or histology slides that I would be able to access? They could be individuals or organisations. The slides can be returned after scanning.

    I've also tried making my own slides (or rather, submitting the tissue to the histology lab where the experts cut the sections), but I've had variable results which are mostly unsatisfying. Do you have any resources or could you point me in the direction of someone with experience in sectioning tissue from invertebrates?

    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.
 

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parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith


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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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