In a two year microscopy teaching program which includes 18 microscopy courses, there are thousands of images which must be collected from a variety of input devices running on various platforms. These must then be associated with different types of data files that need to be tagged to reports as well as being tagged to projects and courses. All of this information must be accessible, first to all those involved with doing the project as well as to anyone associated with needing the results. Tracking progress and security issues had to be part of the solution. It was also necessary that all of this take minimum staff time. Thus, we had to not only set up an image database, but truly an asset management system. Although it certainly would be possible to develop one’s own system, we are limited in staff time for such a project, and certainly didn’t want to re-invent the wheel if such a product was commercially available.

The West Greene School District (WGSD) in partnership with RJ Lee Group (RJLG) is developing innovative programs as part of the Schoolhouse Project to provide exceptional educational and business opportunities to its students. The objectives of the educational/business partnership are multiple including motivating students to pursue advanced education, especially in mathematics, computer sciences, engineering, and the basic sciences; enriching the educational experience beyond that commonly available to students in rural communities; and improving the general attractiveness of the region for business growth. Access to remote analytical instrumentation is a key component of the Schoolhouse Project. to this end, RJLG has developed Web-based technologies (WEBSEM™) which enable control and operation of a scanning electron microscope (Personal SEM® or PSEM) over the Internet. A key component of the project will be the establishment of an incubator laboratory extension of RJLG at the WGSD. This laboratory will function as a learning laboratory during the school day and as a business during the evenings and weekends.

Abstract: Tele-microscopy has become a very active area of research and development in the 1990s where there was a desire to give researchers better access to expensive and specialized microscopes, breaking geographical and time barriers. Rapid advances in telecommunication, computers, and microscopy technologies make possible the establishment of the World Wide Web and the realization of the goal of developing a “laboratory without walls”. This provides unprecedented opportunities for researchers and educators alike to gain access to shared instrumental and educational resources.

In this presentation, a description of the Interactive Nano-Visualization for Science and Engineering Education (IN-VSEE) project will be given. The primary goals of IN-VSEE are to (i) convey the excitement of nanoscience and nanotechnology to promote studentmotivated learning and pursuit of science and engineering careers, (ii) teach fundamental interdisciplinary concepts in science and engineering using a visual format to help students learn and integrate information more effectively, (iii) provide students with the capability to routinely explore materials in three dimensions with resolutions at the nanoscale and even down to the atomic scale, and (iv) demonstrate the feasibility of remote operation of research-grade laboratory instrumentation for development into a powerful educational and collaborative tool.

The W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Molecular Structure (CMolS) at California State University Fullerton is the first comprehensive x-ray crystallographic and computational facility located at a predominantly undergraduate institution. CMolS, a core facility of the California State University Program for Research and Education in Biotechnology (CSUPERB), engages more than thirty faculty and hundreds of student investigators throughout the 23-campus CSU in joint research and education activities directed at the determination and critical analysis of molecular structures. Recognizing that distance learning and remote access represent an exciting new area of research and training, CMolS has taken a leadership role in the CSU in using the Internet to restructure and globalize formal education in x-ray crystallography by developing and implementing novel Webbased courses, tutorials and virtual laboratories that require specialized instrumentation and expertise.

An NIH Structural Biology report and the Department of Energy [1] have indicated that high throughput crystallography is a top research priority in the post-genomic era.

The University of Iowa Central Microscopy Research Facility (CMRF) has been in existence for 27 years. Starting out as a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) research laboratory, the facility has offered formal college courses. These courses require that students identify a project to investigate during the semester. Theory from the formal lecture is reinforced by work performed in the laboratory session. From its modest beginnings, the CMRF has continually grown. Currently, the facility offers two Confocal microscopes, two Scanning Electron Microscopes, a Scanning Probe Microscope, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, a Mossbauer spectrometer, a PTI Ion Imaging/Ratio system, a Freeze Fracture apparatus, and three light microscopes equipped with CCD cameras. Techniques range from routine histology to in-situ hybridization. Technological advances over the history of the facility have not been confined to the lab. in the past, most lectures were given using overheads and 35mm slides.

For the past two years we have been operating a remote instrument educational project called Bugscope. Bugscope is an educational outreach project that provides access to an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) for K-12 classrooms. While the operational aspects of the project require a minimal amount of staff time, the information management for the project is difficult for a small microscopy research group to support without a significant allocation of resources away from the group’s principal research goals. in an effort to alleviate this problem we have begun, in the past five months, to develop a software toolkit called ‘Information Technology for Outreach Projects’ (ITOP) - using the Bugscope project as a test bed. The goal of ITOP is to make it practical for academic research groups to provide scientific resources for educational outreach projects by automating many of the administrative and data handling tasks.

ScienceFest is coordinated through the International JASON Project that introduces the world of science through live satellite broadcasts. Dr. Robert Ballard, the ocean explorer who found the Titanic, started the program in 1989. Included in the ScienceFest presentations at the John Ford Bell Museum of Natural History, Project MICRO run by the Minnesota Microscopy Society (MMS) was on display to the public. As in past years [1] the Project MICRO team of the MMS set up various microscope stations and invited the participants to record the things that they saw and to note what they learnt and mention the things they would like to see. The microscope stations are quite simple, low power ‘field’ microscopes and various samples as documented by the “Microscopic Explorations” [2] handbook that has been developed by the MSA in collaboration with the Lawrence Hall of Science [3] as part of their Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) series.

Three rigorous one-semester, graduate-level courses are offered in light microscopy (LM) and scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), primarily for graduate students and staff, and for advanced undergraduate students in the teaching complex of the Bessey Microscopy Facility (BMF). These courses have evolved over the years. They include a variety of techniques and laboratory exercises that prepare a successful student to become an independent researcher in the BMF or elsewhere, and to work with any major professor who may not have expertise in microscopy.

Each course consists of: five credits at the 600 level; a limit of 10 students; 11 hours of formal lecture-lab time per week; and additional arranged time for continuation of laboratory procedures and individual operation of microscopes and ancillary equipment. Each student has access to the teaching complex 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This invited paper will address several emerging technologies that have an impact on scientists moving into digital imaging technology and raise a few concerns about this digital technology that may not have reached our group.

The quality of inkjet printers has moved forward at a staggering rate. The latest printers from Epson (the 900 series) have achieved a milestone in image quality that is very significant and yet is difficult to find in the specification sheet. The “dots” which the company claims can be as small as 3 picoliters are sufficiently small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. with an improved algorithm, the image quality in 1440 × 720 mode is as good as any dye-sublimation printer. The current 980 when printing in 1440 mode prints at twice the speed as the older 900. At only $250, it actually becomes cost effective to replace 900's with 980's solely based on the amount of time that is saved (even at a University).

Low cost and reliability, optical storage media, in particular the CD-R, has become the main steam data storage media. This presentation is intended to discuss issues related to the CD-rewriteable technology and the longevity of the data stored.

The working principle of CDs can be subdivided into three major categories, the CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW. The CD-ROM is primary used for music and software distribution and is manufactured by injection molding process. in contrast, CD-R and CD-RW are storage media allows data storage by users. The manufacture process involves spin-coating a layer of photo-sensitive organic dye on a polycarbonate substrate, then over-coated with a refractive coating. Writing of the data bits was achieved by photo-bleaching processes, which change the absorption properties of the dye. Considering the operation principle, there are many factors influence the reliability and storage life of the CD-R.

Direct-imaging cryo-electron microscopy combined with CCD cameras provide a powerful tool for studying macromolecular assemblies in the 2 to 300 nm range, which form in biological systems, biomedical solutions, surfactants, microemulsions and a host of other diverse systems. The CCD cameras are especially advantageous for identifying rare assemblies, studying specific assembly details (figures A and B) and transient structures forming during dynamic processes and phase transformations (figures C-E). This setup is also beneficial for exploring coexistence of structures and studying highly radiation-sensitive systems such as oil-continuous solutions. Information on internal ordering is also readily obtained (figure A).

Continuous CCD application at low dose conditions provides numerous significant advantages over classical imaging on photographic plates. First, it allows a preview of the exact area to be recorded (search and focus modes), concentration on specific interesting features and adjustment of microscope parameters for optimal imaging (focus mode), at very low exposures and with minimal radiation damage.

Adobe Photoshop has been the defacto standard for imaging professionals for many years. Most scientists have adopted this program because of the ease of use and the quality of the output. It is obvious to most who use this program that most users only master a limited subset of this programs' capabilities.

This session is an attempt to introduce more of this imaging applications' capabilites from one of Adbobe's Photoshop Evangelists. I will try to show you how to get the most out of Adobe Photoshop by revealing the most productive and efficient digital imaging workflows. I will focus on developing a greater understanding of the current technology within this powerful imaging application program as well as explain the most efficient methods of manipulating, printing, and posting images on the web. I will demonstrate quick and easy ways to crop and resize images as well as make tonal changes and apply custom color tables (Fig. 1).

Image processing techniques have been used for decades in many branches of science. with the advent of low cost, highresolution CCD cameras and the advances in personal computing, techniques previously used in other disciplines are increasingly being applied by transmission electron microscopists. The present paper gives an example of using image processing techniques for characterizing the number and size of second phase precipitates in an oxide matrix.

Si inclusions in the form of Si precipitates can occur in silicon dioxide films. The inclusions are contained within the films and effectively reduce the local thickness of the oxide. This thinning results in a reduction in the voltage necessary to cause oxide breakdown; the larger is the precipitate, the lower the breakdown voltage. Knowledge of the precipitate size and density is therefore important when assessing the dielectric integrity of these films. The Si precipitates are crystalline and more or less randomly oriented within the matrix.

Introduction Applications for porous biomaterials include scaffolds for tissue engineering and spatial control of wound healing. Porous hydrogels are of particular interest due to their hydrophilic nature, elasticity, and mechanical compatibility with soft tissues. We present an optical technique for quantitatively analyzing the pore structure of porous hydrogel materials. The technique presented here is especially useful for analyzing a new class of porous hydrogels with spherical pore shape. Many important properties of the three-dimensional pore structure of these materials can be quantitatively described by analyzing a twodimensional slice (thin section) of material.

Materials and Methods

Porous cross-linked hydrogels were prepared using a previously described method. Briefly, poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (polyHEMA) was polymerized around a pore template of close-packed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres (Sekisui Plastics, grade MB-8C or MB-20C). The microspheres were then leached out with 90% v/v acetone.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were obtained using an FEI 2020 Environmental SEM with a gun voltage of 15 kV and a chamber pressure of 5 torr.

particles and their surrounding immersion liquid medium into a color in the When analyzing particle size distribution of colorless, translucent or transparent particles by image analysis, a major challenge is to obtain images of particles that ensure proper object detection, especially if the particles are amorphous or non-crystalline. Conventional imaging techniques, such as brightfield, darkfield, cross-polarized light, etc., might not applicable for these types of materials.

Dispersion staining (DS) is a technique that coverts the refractive index (RI) difference between visible range and renders particles optically stained with that particular color. There are two modes of dispersion staining techniques: central stop (CS) and annular Stop (AS). For image analysis, CS is preferred.

In the CS mode, the matching wavelength λm, i.e., the wavelength at which the RI of a particle equals that of liquid, is not refracted at the particle/liquid interface and therefore blocked by a 3-4 mm opaque round disk located at the center of the back focal plane of objective lens.

Several thousand images of various biological tissues have been produced by these investigators (*) over careers spanning many, many years. The majority of the images are preserved on Kodak Electron Image Film #4463, Kodak Electron Microscopy Film #4489, Kodak Electron Image Film #SO 163, or Dupont Ortho S Litho (COS-7) film. These 7 mil ESTAR thick base films were the standards utilized by the biological microscopist. The emulsion was covered with a thin layer of hardened gelatin in order to minimize abrasion. After exposure to the electron beam in the 60-80 kV range, the negatives were developed according to routine photographic procedures employing Kodak D-19 developer, hardened in Kodak fixer, washed for the appropriate time, and stored in glassine envelopes in a dust-free environment. The finished negative with the captured image proves to be long-lasting and will produce an image, today, displaying the very same excellent qualities as did original prints produced years ago.

Imaging is an integral part of electron microscopy and is one of the mechanisms we use to share data with our colleagues. We interpret these images to understand microstructure of biological, polymeric and solid state materials. The imaging process can be viewed as a multistep process comprising image capture, processing, and storage. For example, images can be captured on film or digitally using CCD cameras. The processing step uses computers and the appropriate software and the images are stored as hard copies such as prints or a data file. Digital imaging is a dramatically evolving field that has enhanced the way we interpret and analyze these images.

Although digital imaging can be used in each step of the imaging process, one can also use a hybrid system to minimize cost and retain the advantages of digital imaging. in this presentation, we discuss using a hybrid system that allows us to retain the advantages of digital processing and storage of images.

Perception of color. in 1917, Alfred Munsell created a “notation of colors” based on the human perception of colors (Fig 1). The “tri stimuli” sensitivity of red, green and blue of the eye cones allows humans to live in an additive color space. Munsell showed that any color is defined by three components: 1-Hue, similar to different visible wavelengths. 2-Chromaticity or saturation, similar to concentration of dyes. 3-Value or brightness, representing black and white.

Color Space and Gamut. Three conditions must be met to know the existence of an object, they are 1- An Illuminant (5000°K for photography), 2- An Object (Reflective, Transmissive or Emitting), 3- An Observer (Viewer, monitor, camera, detector). in 1931 La Compagnie Internationale de l’Eclairage, or CIE, met to develop a standard. This resulted in the CIE Color Space defined as a 3D volume of gamut of colors (Fig 2). Different vector notations can be used to define colors: Hue Saturation Lightness or Value (HSL or HSV), RGB (Red Green Blue), Lab (Lightness and two coordinates), and CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black).

With the increased frequency of digital presentation of research on laptops at meetings, on the web and to journals, the need arises for a unified set of computer programs. The best of all worlds would be to create text, graphs, images and HTML in one program only, but the reality is that several need to be used without much duplication of effort. The ideal situation is one in which the computer applications are open-ended, so that one application saves in a format that is readable by another application across Macintosh® and PC platforms. At the same time, the applications should be straightforward to use.

Taking only the above conditions into account, even the most cursory examination would reveal that Microsoft® products are, in fact, closed systems at best and dead end at worst. PowerPoint® is a good example of a program that can only do one thing—make slides or on--screen presentations--but dead ends because high resolution image files cannot be saved from the program, nor can files export to HTML or to a file usable by a publisher.

Telepathology, derived from the Greek words tele, or “far off,” and pathologia, literally, “study of the emotions,” is a branch of telemedicine in which information about tissue or body fluid samples obtained at one location is transmitted to a distant site for analysis. in its broadest sense, telepathology can be thought of as encompassing any form of remote information transfer about specimens harboring potential disease processes, including verbal communication via telephone. in a majority of cases, however, the term is used to describe interactions involving transmission of microscopic images, or telemicroscopy. Such transmission can occur through a wide variety of media; sharing of printed images is one venerable mechanism that persists in robust form to this day, facilitated and expedited by efficient express-mail systems. Increasingly, however, the terms telepathology and telemicroscopy have acquired the connotation of rapid electronic transmission of digitized images. Facsimile transmission of micrographs is a rudimentary version of this process, but most modern systems employ some form of digital camera attached to a microscope.