Solving Problems With Microscopy

Solving Problems with Microscopy Comprehensive resource, based on real case examples, on the ability of the microscope for solving problems This book takes a “why to” rather than the common “how to” approach to demonstrate the capabilities of microscopy to solve problems. It provides entertaining and informative case examples and lessons regarding the unique value the microscope brings to problem solving by experienced scientists in various industries, including criminal and civil forensic science, manufacturing, environmental science, pharmaceutical science, cultural heritage, and biological sciences. Sample topics covered in this learning resource include: History of problem solving with microscopy Fortune favors the prepared mind The value of multiple associations The importance of context Knowing your limitations (i.e. knowing what you don’t know) Microscopists and other professional scientists who use microscopy can harness the information in this book to make better and more informed decisions by improving their problem-solving strategies and processes.

A practical guide to the study and understanding of the structure of synthetic polymer materials using the complete range of microscopic techniques. The major part of the book is devoted to specimen preparation and applications. New applications and additional references provide a critical update.

Modern materials include a vast array of polymers and plastics which are found in applications such as housing, appliances, clothing and household textiles and automotive and aerospace industries. Thus research scientists, engineers and materials science graduate students need to be aware of the methods and techniques required to understand the structure-property relations of polymer materials. This book will review the field of the microscopy of polymers. There is a vast literature which describes the research results obtained by study of polymer materials using microscopy and other complementary analytical techniques and such studies are best left to journals on specific topics. The major objective of this text is to provide the basic microscopy techniques and specimen preparation methods applicable to polymers. The book will attempt to provide enough detail so that the methods described can be applied, and also to reference appropriate publications for the investigator interested in more detail. The selection of two authors for this text came from the desire for a comprehen sive review of polymer microscopy with emphasis on methods and techniques, rather than on research results. The synergism provided by two authors with widely varied backgrounds was thought to be important: one author (LCS) has an industrial focus and a background in chemistry whilst the other (DTG) has an academic environment and offers a background in polymer physics.

The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.

This innovative volume surveys the latest image acquisition advances in serial block face techniques in scanning electron microscopy, knife-edge scanning microscopy, and 4D imaging of multi-component biological systems. The book introduces parallel processing for biological applications. You learn advanced parallelization techniques for decomposing a problem domain and mapping it onto a parallel processing architecture using the message-passing interface (MPI) and OpenMP. Case studies show how these techniques have been successfully used in simulation tasks, data mining, and graphical visualization of biological datasets. You also find coverage of methods for developing scalable biological image databases and for facilitating greater interactive visualization of large image sets.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is part of a range of emerging microscopic methods for biologists which offer the magnification range of both the light and electron microscope, but allow imaging under the 'natural' conditions usually associated with the light microscope. To biologists AFM offers the prospect of high resolution images of biological material, images of molecules and their interactions even under physiological conditions, and the study of molecular processes in living systems. This book provides a realistic appreciation of the advantages and limitations of the technique and the present and future potential for improving the understanding of biological systems. Contents:ApparatusBasic PrinciplesMacromoleculesInterfacial SystemsOrdered MacromoleculesCells, Tissue and BiomineralsOther Probe Microscopes Readership: Undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in biophysics. Keywords:AFM;Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM);Biophysics;Cells;Macromolecules;Imaging;Biopolymers;Interfaces;DNA;PhospholipidsReviews:“This book fills an important niche by providing an introduction to AFM that will be understandable to a wide range of scientists … the reader is offered an introduction of sufficient brevity to actually be read and of sufficient depth to help in defining the potential uses of SPMs in his or her own research.”Scott Fraser (California Institute of Technology, USA) Nature Cell Biology “I found this book easy to read with clear, simple explanations of a complex topic. I think that the selection of the subjects treated in the book is sufficient for the non-specialist to understand both the basic concepts of the AFM and the production of AFM images in biological systems.”Microscopy and Analysis “… is an excellent introduction for anybody wishing to enter this field … In summary I would strongly recommend this book to any biologist planning on carrying out research using SPM imaging techniques and existing users in the field who wish to broaden their knowledge of SPM imaging and the research already carried out on common biological systems.”Drew Murray JPK Instruments, Berlin “This book provides an excellent survey of novel applications. It is nicely illustrated with numerous images from leading experts in the field. Clear descriptions of the apparatus and its basic principles are provided in a way accessible to students/scientists who do not have a strong physics background. It will be useful to biologists, but also non-biologists dealing with biosystems …”Prof Y F Dufrêne UCL, Belgium

Scanning transmission electron microscopy has become a mainstream technique for imaging and analysis at atomic resolution and sensitivity, and the authors of this book are widely credited with bringing the field to its present popularity. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy(STEM): Imaging and Analysis will provide a comprehensive explanation of the theory and practice of STEM from introductory to advanced levels, covering the instrument, image formation and scattering theory, and definition and measurement of resolution for both imaging and analysis. The authors will present examples of the use of combined imaging and spectroscopy for solving materials problems in a variety of fields, including condensed matter physics, materials science, catalysis, biology, and nanoscience. Therefore this will be a comprehensive reference for those working in applied fields wishing to use the technique, for graduate students learning microscopy for the first time, and for specialists in other fields of microscopy.