In spite of its relatively small population, about 20 million people, Australia has, across a large number of fields, made significant contributions to science and technology. Expressed statistically, approximately 2.4% of published science research has its origins 'down-under'. Electron microscopy is no exception. Indeed, a significant number of pioneering developments in microscopy (and prominent microscopists) have originated from Australia. For example, early developments in environmental scanning electron microscopy had their birth at this university (through Viv Robinson and Gerry Danilatos) in the 1970's. Leading figures such as David Cockayne, John Cowley, John Spence. Michael O'Keefe once (still?) called Australia home.

Microspherules (MS) ranging in size from 50μm to 425μm were discovered at Westwater, Utah in 1999. Examination of these particles using a scanning electron microscope identifies certain physical features that support an extraterrestrial (ET) provenance for these objects. Energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) was used to determine the qualitative chemistry of these particles.

Since Microsoft PowerPoint has become the dominant scientific meeting presentation format, my collection of right-left stereo slide pairs has basically been rendered obsolete. Yet, contained within these striking images are valuable scientific data. This communication describes an easy method whereby analog slide data (i.e. scanning electron micrograph RL pairs, Figs. 1 & 2) are transformed into an electronic format such that the need for projector polarizers is replaced by inexpensive red-green or red-blue 3-D glasses.

Holey carbon films mounted on standard EM grids are routinely used as specimen supports in electron cryo-microscopy, Adroplet of the sample containing, for example, a suspension of virus particles or protein molecules, is applied to the grid, blotted to a thin layer and rapidly frozen. The particles are then imaged where the liquid spans the holes, without interference from an underlying carbon support film. Many recipes for holey films have been presented in the literature, generaiiy employing some method of forming bubbles in a layer of solvent in which a material is dissolved that then forms a discontinuous layer as the solvent evaporates.

Replicas of botanical surfaces are sometimes preferred for imaging in the SEM, instead of original surfaces, in cases where it is not possible or desirable, for a variety of reasons, to prepare originais using conventional techniques (chemical fixation followed by dehydration and critical point drying, freeze drying, or cryo-SEM). Samples may be rare (herbarium specimens), or impossible to bring into the lab for processing, and field replication may be the only alternative.

A previous article documented the health hazards associated with embedding media. This article will present specific measures that can be taken to diminish and/or eliminate problems when handling embedding media. Use of personal protective equipment is essential in all laboratory activities and especially when working with embedding media.