MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 298 : January 2021 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue February 13th 2021.



index

Nematocysts in the epidermis of
the coral Porites porites.
Image by Laurent Delvoye.

 

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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.


Corals and microscopy - Laurent Delvoye (Netherlands) describes and illustrates his work carried out over a long career at the Caribbean Marine Biological Institute (Carmabi). PDF

In the garden, November (8-, '1000'- legs) - Anthony Thomas (Canada) continues his series of critters that can be found when isolated from leaf litter, illustrated with striking examples. PDF

In house microscopy - Christian Autotte (Canada) describes and illustrates the variety of indoor subjects that can be studied under the microscope using various techniques. PDF

The great biologists and other random thinkers: A lecture by Mrs. Malaprop - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares a further essay on behalf of Mrs. Malaprop.

Exploring the use of Peltier plates for a microscope heating stage. A cautionary tale - David Walker (UK) shares his early experiences.


January 30th. Apologies, all the links in the past issue below have been failing since the 13th, now corrected.

From the archives, ten years ago: the complete March 2011 issue.

Advanced light photomicrography -
Wulf Herwig (Germany) describes his methods of combining depth of focus stacking / stitching software techniques with short wavelength light to create striking imagery of diatom frustules. (In Acrobat® pdf format.)

Comparison of the Swift FM-31 Portable Field Microscope and an FM-31 Clone - R Jordan Kreindler (USA) and Yuval Goren (Israel) assess these two models in different price ranges. (In Acrobat® pdf format.)

Who invented the 'onion skin' biology lab? - (2021 note: the now sadly, late) Walter Dioni (Mexico) investigates the history of the use of this readily obtainable subject for education.

Sharing real-time images by instant messenger - Yu Wan (China) shows how this software can be used to interact with fellow enthusiasts.

Mysteries surrounding dried stuff, part 3. A battered Chirodota sea cucumber from the Philippines - Richard Howey (USA) continues his series describing and illustrating the interesting microscopic subjects found in rehydrated dried marine specimens.

The Vickers epi-illuminator - Michael Race (Australia) shows the versatility of this accessory by adapting to a Leitz Laborlux III stand.

A close-up view of a flowering 'Echeveria' - Brian Johnston (Canada) illustrates the macro and microscopic features of this plant.

The poor man's photomacroscope. Part 4 - an update. - Paul James (UK) describes his modification of a Leitz Metallux for macro studies.

Some historic mounts by Henry Deane (1807-1874) - (2021 note: the now sadly, late) Peter Paisley (Australia) describes and illustrates aspects of the life and work of this mounter.

A close-up view of the Japanese Wood Fern - Brian Johnston (Canada) illustrates the macro and micro features of this often overlooked wild plant.

Forays into fluorescence - 5. Notes on adapting a Zeiss Photomicroscope (or Universal) to LED sourced epi-fluorescence) - David Walker (UK) describes and illustrates his trials, using blue light autofluorescence as an example.


yearbookIn Focus: Mol Smith has been very busy liaising with contributors to prepare and publish Micscape Yearbook 2. It is now available from Amazon stores.


    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
Look for that elusive article on our site:
Micscape Magazine past issues online
(read articles online using the original illustrated index for each month).
Article Library (browse articles by category)
Automated Search (a search engine for keyword searches in all articles)
Contributor index (a list of all Micscape contributors to date)
News - special notices - misc.


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


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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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