Wilson's Websites

Optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopes are used to examine materials and biological specimens at high resolution. With the introduction of low-cost PCs, frame grabbers, and image-processing software, vendors are finding that they can offer automated microscopy systems that increase the reliability and functionality of manual inspection. This month, we examine Web sites that guide you toward the future of automated microscopy inspection.

The nonprofit organization Microscopy Society of America (Chicago, IL), dedicated to the advancement of microscopy-based imaging, has journals and conferences that show how the technology can be used in areas such as biological, materials, medical, and physical sciences. On the society's Web site, there is information about its publications, reference and educational activities, local affiliated societies, members, and related links.

Rolston Gordon Communications (Great Bookham, Surrey, England) operates an on-line version of the company's Microscopy and Analysis magazine. Although the magazine does not publish its articles on-line , readers can request copies of the articles or features by e-mailing the editorial offices. You can also search suppliers' Web sites and other microscopy sites and access new product, literature-highlight, book-review, conference, and exhibition information.

Developed in cooperation with MicroWorld Resources and News, this virtual library in microscopy is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK) and covers all aspects of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and other forms of microscopy. Topics including Internet resources, products, manufacturers, laboratories, journals, societies, list servers, and user groups can be viewed individually or as part of a list containing more than 2000 links.

Lance Ladic of the department of physiology, University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada), maintains a Web site that features a range of information about laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). This information includes an introduction to LSCM, specimen preparation, data acquisition, and volume visualization techniques. In addition, there are links to PC, Mac, and UNIX-based freeware/shareware, source code, and other LSCM sites.

The National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (La Jolla, CA) is a federally funded research facility dedicated to 3-D microscopy and imaging of biological materials. On its Web site, there are links to the center's biology projects, instrumentation developments, and software packages for correlated 3-D light-microscope and electron-microscope-based analyses.

England's Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) is involved in current developments in the fields of light and electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and image-recording techniques. The RMS publishes the Journal of Microscopy and microscopy handbooks. On the society's Web site, you can subscribe to these publications and access links to commercial sites of microscopy suppliers and other organizations and societies.

Nikon Instruments Inc. (Melville, NY) maintains MicroscopyU, a scientific site that provides an educational forum for optical microscopy, digital imaging, and photomicrography. By showcasing prominent microscopists and detailing products and applications, MicroscopyU furnishes information on microscope optics and imaging technology. It also posts information about the annual Nikon International Small World Competition and hosts the Small World Gallery, which showcases 27 years of winning photomicrographs.