MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 338: May 2024 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue June 13th 2024.

 

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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.

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

Microscopical exploration thirty two. A colourful close-up of amino acids - James Stewart (UK) shares striking images using crossed polars and homemade waveplates.  PDF

An attractive detailed first day cover showing a marine protozoan, a chonotrich - David Walker (UK)

From the Archives. An issue eleven years ago in May 2013.

A microscopic investigation of cytoplasmic streaming in the inner epidermis of Allium cepa - by Cassandra Overney (USA)

Alexis Anastay Julien, 1840 - 1919 - Essay on a slide mounter. Brian Stevenson, Kentucky, USA

Zeiss Microscope Nf stand - incandescent lamp to a 3W power LED conversion - Dushan Grujich (Australia)

James Howard Redfern, 1838 - 1922 - Essay on a slide mounter. Brian Stevenson, Kentucky, USA

Recruiting amateur microscopists and natural historians - Suggested subjects to show to a potential new enthusiast. Richard Howey (USA)

A close up view of a Gazania hybrid - Brian Johnston (Canada)

Notes on measuring and comparing the optical performance of two continuous zoom Greenough stereo microscopes. A Meiji EMZ-1 achromatic and Leica S8 APO - David Walker (UK)

In Focus:
Brian Darnton R.I.P.
We are sad to learn from an announcement on the Quekett Microscopical Club Facebook group page that Brian passed away on March 4th 2024 aged 88. He was a regular contributor to Micscape and has been a stalwart of the British microscopy community for many years. Always happy to share his skills in slide mounting with a particular interest in foraminifera. Many will own examples of his expertly produced slides with impeccable labelling including forams in named grids such as the author's examples shown.

indexindex

MicroRealms The developers of the paper microscope, the Foldscope, are seeking Kickstarter backing for a new project. The MicroRealms is a self contained projection microscope.



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.

The Amateur Diatomist archive This magazine resource ably created and administered by Steve Gill has now been ported to the Microscopy-UK site with Steve's permission as the former host server is now not available.
As well as all the issues in pdf format there are a wealth of other resources in the Downloads section including by noted workers such as Barber and the complete 532 page book 'An Introduction to the Microscopical Study of Diatoms' by Robert B. McLaughlin.

Diatoms of the Arid South West Originally hosted on the website of New Mexico State University, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Services. Archived with permission from Dave Richman, resource editor, and C. Scott Bundy of the NMSU.

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
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. Link to March 2020 mirror on the Internet Archive site. 
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
Historical makers of microscopes and microscope slides Brian Stevenson's extensive resource on Victorian slide makers.
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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