Riz MC premieres content from his forthcoming album MICroscope at interactive two-night party.  Review by Craig Jenkins

The show…

Sadlers Wells‘ Lilian Bayliss studio was transformed this weekend into an underground laboratory as Riz MC took us through a microscopic study of bacteria, music and culture, drawn from his upcoming album MICroscope.

The suitably titled MICroscope was a live and interactive performance from actor, MC, and socio-political wordsmith Riz Ahmed.  It placed the audience inside a metaphorical Petri dish and pressed it to question society, politics, world news and whether it’s better to be cool or friendly? (I was forced by friends to vote ‘cool’).

The music…

Woven in and out of the social experiments was music that spoke for itself and could easily have set off a chemical explosion – had this been a standard Friday night gig. Tracks such as All in the Ghetto and Jump on it with their thumping bass-lines and infectiously catchy lyrics have now become strong additions to my iPod, (move aside The XX and Chaka Khan), and Sour Times showcases Riz as not only a house party must, but also a thought provoking social commentator.

The accompanying comperes were stymied by some flat attempts at comedy but took it back with a stunning freestyle inspired by words from the audience.  They even managed to weave in my shout of Tangerine!

The end…

The night ended with a stroke of Crystal Maze inspired genius.  A bank-robbery style free for all – with audiences ducking to avoid setting off infra-red beams and leaping to catch showers of falling money.

My only criticism of MICroscope would be the venue.  With a no drinks inside the auditorium policy, the night lacked the freedom and vigour of your standard grime gig and made it all seem a little too controlled.

Coming soon

However, MICroscope will be released . . . soon and is set to tour in 2010, so keep your scientific goggles peeled, it’s worth the wait!

This book is a great resource for both students and teachers studying the Microworlds unit. Published by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution, this highly credible book provides readers with a collection of articles covering the major concepts of the Microworlds unit, including an introduction to microscopes, descriptions of a variety of microorganisms, and discussions on how microorganisms and microscopes play an essential role in people’s lives today. The pictures within the articles are engaging, informative, and high in quality, with helpful captions to accompany each. At the end of each section are interesting facts and questions that push students to continue thinking about the topic. Overall, Microworlds is entertaining, easy to read, and meaningful for students as it constantly connects the material to their own lives, making it the perfect extension for the Microworlds unit.

Grade: 5

Lagunatic and Julian had a discussion yesterday about what it is like to be pregnant:

“Yes, Julian, you were in my belly and you started out SOOOO SMALL that you couldn’t even be seen!! And then you started growing bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and my belly started getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and after almost ten WHOLE months you came out! Daddy and I were SO happy to see you!!!”

“I was in your belly? And, I was so small??? You couldn’t see me? So, you had to use a microscope??”

“Well, I guess a microscope would have worked when we couldn’t see you.”

“Did you try binoculars??”

I’m going to add binoculars to things I never ever want associated with my vagina.

The World’s Best Microscope Photography

Check out this gallery of lovely, sometimes whimsical microbe colonies, from Discover Magazine:

Several years ago, I sat in a 200-level English course that studied different forms of story-telling. Two class sessions were spent studying the 1997 Andrew Niccol film Gattaca starring Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and Uma Thurman. This sci-fi drama quickly became a favorite of mine, not so much because of its science fiction content but more for the triumph of the human spirit and brilliant performances.

The film was highlighted in this class because of the conversations its subject would invoke and provoke. It addressed the issue of DNA and “the human genome project.” In other words, the concept that one’s DNA should determine the course of one’s life and career. Individuals were tested at birth and even prior to birth to determine the “type of raising” they would require. For instance, if the bodily make up of an infant showed a high percentage for even the potential of heart disease or other affliction, the determined course of their life would lead them away from anything that would cause strain on the heart or other weak organ/function.

There was much animated discussion among the students as opinions were shared and rationally listened to. We each had to write a lengthy research paper citing sources and revealing our own opinions. It was about that time that I wished my genome profile had revealed my propensity toward a nervous breakdown should I have to write a lengthy paper. :-/

These type of career-fit determinations undermine the whole recruitment process. Instead of a phone interview, you request a finger prick to ascertain DNA and, ultimately, the future. Instead of an on-site interview, an agility test. Instead of IQ or skill testing, a DNA bank will be cross-checked to find perfect placements. Interview questions will no longer be necessary, as all the answers will be revealed on a microscope slide.

When free will is removed, motivation to do well or strive for more is squelched because limitations are set and understood. Can your DNA show whether or not you are suitable for a specific job? What about company fit and potential culture clashes? Limitations do just that: limit. When capabilities are restricted, potential is never reached. Heart and determination have to count for something. It is far more complicated than a simple blood test, yet far more simple than a strand of DNA.

“There is no gene for the human spirit.” - Andrew Niccol, Gattaca

by rayannethorn

President Barack Obama looks through a microscope during a tour of an oncology laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., Sept. 30, 2009

This past summer, various news sources reported on Cell Scope, the portable Cell Phone Microscope.  It was a well-developed and supported, sophisticated device that at least seemed like it could be very helpful in underserved areas for such applications as searching peripheral smears for malarial parasites. 

Well, if you just cannot wait for Cell Scope to come to market, or if you are on more of a shoe-string budget, researchers at UCLA have fabricated a cell phone microscope of their own, of the DIY variety.

The engineer behind this project, Aydogan Ozcan told the New York Times that the device was created out of $10 worth of off-the-shelf parts (based on the picture, it seems as if they have some pretty amazing shelves) and actually involves no lens!  Instead, the set-up uses the cell phone’s camera sensor to read light scatter created by shining an LED light through a blood sample (I believe, much like routine automated hemocytometry) and the rig then reports the acquired information wirelessly to a computer which is able to interpret the information and report out certain information about the sample from the white cell count to the presence of malarial parasites.

Not surprisingly, this kit set-up is also targeted at indigent and undeserved areas for basic blood interpretation including utilization in the diagnosis of malaria.  Again, no word on price or release date, or more importantly for the DIY-er: instructions; I’m still waiting…

[New York Times via Gizmodo]

Dino-Lite Digital Microscope (USB2.0) 10x~200x Magnification Review

Dino-Lite Digital Microscope (USB2.0) 10x~200x Magnification Feature

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• Output: PC/USB, Magnification: 10x-200x, illumination: 8 LED
• Image Capture: JPEG/BMP 640×480 Video Capture: AVI 640×480 30fps
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• Contents: Camera, manual, Dino Capture software compatible w/ all Windows and Mac OS 9, X

Dino-Lite Digital Microscope (USB2.0) 10x~200x Magnification Overview

** Stand shown in the picture is sold seperately.
Dino-Lite Digital Microscope is an amazing and easy to use handheld microscope. It is ideal for various applications such as skin check, scalp check, science learning, visual assistance and industrial inspections. Features include magnification up to 200 times(see model comparison chart below), capability of interfacing to PC, adjustable focus, quick and easy installation, and stylish design.
Dino digital microscope provides high quality microscopy video interfacing to PC. Clear and steady imaging with simple magnification and focus control.

The bundled software, “DinoCapture”, allows the user to take a snapshot, video or time-lapsed video with just a click on TV or Computer. A user friendly interface to create a movie in AVI format. The video quality can be adjusted by video compression setting. Multiple pictures can be easily compared on screen as well!

The range of magnifications goes from 10X to 200X for great selection in image viewing. The white LED light equipped with the digital microscope will enhance the illumination to improve resolution.

Images and Data can be stored in the computer hard drive, CD, DVD or Polaroid and Video.

The emailing function included with the software allows for the instant sending of images from remote locations around the world.

Dino-Lite Digital Microscope (USB2.0) 10x~200x Magnification Specifications

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Bugscope

What bugs are coming you ask? The image of the bugs  projected from the Bugscope! The Bugscope project uses a scanning electron microscope (SEM) allowing students around the world to view images of insects. The Bugscope is part of an educational outreach program through the Beckman Institute’s Imaging Technology Group at the University of Illinois supporting classrooms around the world.

Teachers can sign up for their class to participate and use the Bugscope to analyze insects collected by their own students. The insects are mailed to the Bugscope admins and are made available during the scheduled time. Students can ask the Bugscope admins questions and the admins will respond to the students in real time during the teacher’s scheduled viewing time.

How does it work?

You sign up, (tell your students to) find some bugs, and mail them to us. We accept your application, schedule your session, and prepare the bugs for insertion into the electron microscope. When your session time arrives, we put the bug(s) into the microscope and set it up for your classroom. Then you and your students login over the web and control the microscope. We’ll be there over chat to guide you and answer the kids’ questions.

Why BUGscope? Insects are the right size and work well in the microscope. They’re easy to find on nearly every playground or backyard. They have great detail at high magnification that most people have never seen. They fit into most schools’ science curriculums. And finally, because kids are fascinated by bugs!

Although global, the screenshot of the map shows schools that used Bugscope is definitely heavy in North America.

The Bugscope website has several tutorials, resources and images to help integrate this technology into the classroom. While I do not particularly care for bugs or studying bugs, I can definitely see students getting excited about their upcoming scheduled time to use the Bugscope remotely. To see the magnification in action, I took a screenshot of the website’s example of a fly:

During the teacher’s scheduled time to use the Bugscope, the teacher logs in to a special webpage that is referred to as the interface.

On the day of your connection you will visit a special webpage we call the interface. This webpage will contain a live chat client, live images from the microscope, and interactive control over the microscope. Our newest incarnation, Bugscope 2.0, addresses many of the compatibility and filtering issues with previous versions. All that is required is a modern web browser (see our Computer Setup page) and a fast enough internet connection (1.5 MB DSL or better, Cable modem, T1, etc). The operator will have the ability to move the stage, change focus, and adjust contrast and brightness. These commands are relayed to and executed by the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in real time. New images are then captured and distributed to all of the clients. A live video feed is also available to the operator for extremely responsive control.

After the Bugscope session, the teacher receives a multimedia transcript of the session of the insects viewed and chat log between the experts and students. This sounds like a fantastic way to make science instruction come alive and show ways scientists work with technology in the real world. You can check the Bugscope website to find out if schools near you have scheduled times to use the Bugscope or to apply for your classroom to use the Bugscope. The website encourages you to allow at least six weeks prior to the time you would like to use the Bugscope. Let me know when your classtime is invaded by the Bugscope – I would love to be a ‘fly’ on the wall!

**Pun intended and yes, I am well aware it was a lame attempt at humor but humor me anyway!

]]> http://drgoulu.com/2009/10/24/comment-palper-les-molecules-de-la-vie/ Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:53:27 +0000 Dr. Goulu http://drgoulu.com/2009/10/24/comment-palper-les-molecules-de-la-vie/

Excellente présentation vendredi passé au Microclub [1] par Sandor Kasas, du Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante (LPMV) de l’EPFL. Il nous a expliqué comment les microscopes à force atomique permettent d’observer, de filmer voire de palper les “briques de la vie” (protéines, enzymes, ADN) en plein action.

Il a commencé par nous expliquer comment fonctionne un microscope à force atomique, AFM pour les intimes. C’est une évolution du microscope à effet tunnel (STM) inventé (en Suisse) en 1981 par Gerd Binnig et Heinrich Rohrer. Ils ont obtenu pour ça le prix Nobel 5 ans plus tard seulement (un record récemment battu par Obama).

Le principe du STM consiste à promener une pointe ultra fine au dessus d’une surface à observer, et à mesurer le “courant tunnel” produit par les électrons passant de l’échantillon à la pointe, ce qui permet de mesurer la distance entre les deux et de produire des images avec une résolution sub atomique. Plus fort encore : en appliquant une plus forte tension entre la pointe et l’échantillon, on parvient à coller un atome à la pointe, puis aller le déposer à un endroit précis, pour réaliser des choses incroyables comme celle-ci:

cercle de 48 atomes de fer déposés sur du cuivre chez IBM. Diamètre = 14 nanomètres. les vagues au centre sont produites par la superposition des fonctions d'onde des atomes, preuve que la mécanique quantique n'existe pas que dans les livres.

Le STM souffre toutefois de quelques limitations: il ne fonctionne que dans un vide très poussé, avec des échantillons conducteurs d’électricité refroidis bien en dessous de 0°C.

poutre flexible de microscope à force atomique, et sa pointe

Ces inconvénients n’existe pas avec l’AFM, qui “palpe” la surface en mesurant avec un laser la nanométrique flexion  d’une minuscule poutre portant la pointe, sous l’effet combiné des forces  de Van der Waals (attractive) et électrostatique (répulsive). Avec un AFM, on peut observer des échantillons dans l’eau, à température ambiante. On peut observer de la matière vivante !

Sandor Kasas nous a ainsi montré de spectaculaires images de brins d’ADN  comme celle-ci, qui sera expliquée en détail plus bas:

image LVPM-EPFL

Mieux encore : on arrive à  appliquer des forces très précises sur l’échantillon, en appuyant les quelques atomes de l’extrémité de la pointe dessus.  Après avoir déposé  des microtubules sur un substrat percé, l’équipe du LPMV est ainsi parvenue à mesurer les modules d’élasticité et de cisaillement de ces constituants de la paroi cellulaire [2]!

ADN Topoisomérase II (image : Wikipedia)

Plus fort encore : l’AFM permet de mesurer la force avec laquelle des protéines se lient entre elles, et de mieux comprendre des phénomènes biochimiques inaccessibles jusqu’ici. Sandor Kasas nous a ainsi présenté une étude sur le “complexe snare” , la membrane cellulaire du bout des axones où les neurotransmetteurs sont libérés pour transmettre l’influx nerveux entre les neurones. En mesurant les forces d’adhésion entre les protéines syntaxin 1 (sx1), SNAP-25 (S25) et VAMP 2 (V2), les chercheurs sont parvenus à  comprendre comment elles étaient agencées et comment  la toxine du tetanos (TeTx) perturbe le fonctionnement de ces protéines. [3] Wow !

Mais la recherche qui m’a le plus excité est celle qui a produit les images d’ADN plus haut. L’ADN est une très longue molécule : chacune de nos cellules en contient environ 1 mètre, super enroulée en une minuscule pelote, ce qui cause inévitablement des noeuds. Mais des “têtes de lecture” se promènent le long des brins d’ADN pour les décoder ou les répliquer, et les noeuds risquent de bloquer ce mécanisme vital.

Heureusement, il y a la topoisomérase II. C’est la présence de cette enzyme qui permet à la pelote de la première photo de se dénouer complètement en un petit quart d’heure. On n’est pas encore certains de comment elle fait, mais les chercheurs du LPMV aimeraient bien poursuivre leurs travaux [4] et prouver qu’elle triche en coupant un brin et en le raccommodant après avoir croisé l’autre! Un éviteur d’axe biologique ! incroyable, non ?

Cette présentation fait partie des 10 meilleures auxquelles j’aie assisté, toutes catégories confondues. Merveilleusement multidisciplinaire, on naviguait en toute confiance entre mécanique quantique et biologie, entre chimie, optique et dynamique. Un régal. Merci Dr. Kasas !

Références:

1. S Kasas, “Presentation Microclub 2009″, (pdf des slides avec encore plus d’images)
2. A Yersin et al “Interactions between synaptic vesicle fusion proteins explored by atomic force microscopy“, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), July 22, 2003 vol. 100 no. 15, p 8736-8741
3. A. Kis, S. Kasas et al “Nanomechanics of Microtubules”, Physical Review Letter, 2002, Vol. 89, Nr 24
4. Erika Ercolini “Scaling Properties of DNA Knots Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy”, EPFL Thèse No 4041, 2008

1st place 2009 Dr. Heiti Paves - Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) anther (20x)

There are wonders that naked eye is unable to catch: forms, colors, compositions . Hidden mysteries only visible through light microscope and revealed in marvelous photographies.

A fantastic gallery of gorgeous images showing the beauty of life and its complexity can be enjoyed thanks to Nikon’s Small World Competition, launched in 1974 “as a means to recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photography through the light microscope”. These pictures are not only an object of beauty, they are also a “technical document that can be of great significance to science or industry”.

Image of distinction 2009 - Dennis Breitsprecher Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany Fluorescent actin bundles growing from the surface of coated beads (63x)

Nikon Small World website provides a showcase of the best images submitted for the competition since 1997. Additionally, the best pictures can be admired at Small World Exhibit, travelling throughout USA and Canada at selected museums and science centers. If you happen to be at one of the many locations, don’t miss Nikon Small World Museum Tour.

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I spent the last three days in Aachen.  I was there visiting ACCESS, a lab affiliated with the university, and using some of their equipment to look at my samples.  Or rather, sitting and watching as the woman I was working with used the machines.  It was a really great visit.  I learned a TON and got some really productive research done in the process and hopefully paved the way for future collaborations.  This is a picture of a sample after FIBing (where a beam of high-energy galium ions are used to cut away at a material).  This particular image is more of a scientific curiosity than useful research, but the picture is freaking cool!  Feel free to chime in on the comments section about what you think it looks like.

Some extra-special dorm rooms

I was staying at the university guest house, which itself is a very pretty old building, although my room was actually in the new addition next door, which looked like a Euro-chic version of Motel 6 (think, two stories and all the rooms entered from an outside walkway).  This was the first week of classes at the university, and the town was awash with groups of wide-eyed freshmen being lead around by wise older students.  The medieval tower in the picture below, near the guest house, is actually a student residence (hey baby, want to go back to my tower and study some… history?) and a group of new students were engaging in a burlap sack rack in front of it when I took the picture down on the lower level below the railing.  They had to hop to an upperclassman, around her, and back.  It reminded me of New Student Days at Iowa State, oh so long ago.  One day was the city rally, where the new students are sent around the city on a sort of scavenger hunt to get acquainted with the area that involves silly stunts and really a lot of beer, and we could hear them chanting and singing outside the building.

Aachen Town Hall, where German kings were once crowned

Last night I had dinner with Ada, my old officemate from DLR.  She’s now back in Aachen working on a Master’s degree, and it was really fun to catch up with her.  I had about 45 minutes to walk around before meeting her and I got photos of the two big historical architectural features of the town, the City Hall and the Cathedral.  The later was originally built on the orders of Charlemagne and is now his final resting place.  This afternoon Lorenz was in Aachen to give his lecture and it worked out that I got a ride home.  Now, back to work tomorrow to see what I make of all this new information.

Aachen cathedral, another attempt to cram every architectrual style for the last 1200 years into a single edifice

Or “photomicrography” as Newsweek described it…whatever.

Check out the slideshow of winners:

Nowhere is the power of photomicrography better documented than in Nikon’s Small World photomicrography competition, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. In photographs dating back to 1977, crystals, neurons, larvae, knitting needles, fabrics, and hundreds of other organisms and objects reveal scientific information and artistic beauty. This week, Nikon announced its top 20 winners for 2009, the best of almost 3,000 entries from around the world.

In the 35 years since the contest began, technology has dramatically advanced the field of microscopic imaging. Early on, photomicrography faced the challenge that came with old-fashioned film: researchers couldn’t see what they were capturing in real time, so they had to take multiple images to get one that was well lighted, well focused, and well framed. “It was always potluck to see what you would get at the end,” says Alan Opsahl, a senior scientist in the Investigative Pathology Group at Pfizer. “You wasted a lot of film, time, and energy to get that perfect image.” Today digital photography allows scientists to see their pictures as they take them and provides far more flexibility as they prepare their final images on a computer. Researchers can, for example, adjust colors to produce the most effective result. Opsahl did this with an image of mouse brain cells, which he submitted to Nikon’s contest this year. In the original digital image, the biological stains he used labeled the nuclei of the cells blue and the cell bodies and processes brown. But Opsahl liked it the other way around, because it allowed the delicate neurons to stand out better. “I flip-flopped the colors, much like you do with a negative,” he says. Nikon’s rules state that photos must be taken with a light microscope—as opposed to an electron microscope, which can achieve even higher levels of magnification—but there are no restrictions on how color is used.

Read the full article in Newsweek

Aven, makers of the popular Mighty Scope Handheld Microscope brings you their iLoupe XL. The iLoupe XL is the second generation of the iLoupe digital camera/microscope combination.

A professional-quality digital microscope portable enough for you to easily use out on the factory floor, on your customers’ sites, at crime scenes, out in the field, and more. Easily document changes and problems, gather evidence, and take care of your customers.

Aven designed the iLoupe Digital Microscope system to take professional-quality digital images- for engineers, doctors, scientists, and technical photography specialists.

With built-in adjustable illumination, a very wide magnification range 3x to 300x and a built in 5 Mega-Pixel Camera, the iLoupe XL is one tool that you can have when and where you need it for a wide variety of situations.

Some of the features of the iLoupe XL are:

• The magnification range is 3x to 300x, a broader range than the original iLoupe
• A 5 mega-pixel high resolution sensor for detailed images
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• Includes a SD card for storing images and editing on a PC
• Easy to use touchpad controls
• The built-in 6 white-light LEDs and adjustable illumination ensure the magnified images are clear and bright
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the microscope can be used continuously for more than 5 hours
• TV Video Out allows you to see images on TV

For more specifications please visit our site at www.gotopac.com and search for iLoupe, or just click this link: Aven iLoupe XL

I’ve explored digital microscopy in the past at Uni, but I actually went out and purchased a digital microscope. I wish I’d found this article before! Oh well. If you have an old microscope or telescope laying around and always wanted to capture the beautiful imagery within, check out this article on making your own digital camera microscope adapters. Article Here.

This website contains a fifth grade unit plan on cells and microorganisms, titled “Cell-ebrate! Life.” The document itself contains all the information one could need in planning a unit on cells, including a brief overview, background knowledge that both the teachers and the students will need for the unit, necessary resources, and the nine lessons that make up the unit. The lessons themselves cover information pertinent to understanding and examining cells, including parts of a microscope, examining cells and microorganisms, constructing models of plant and animal cells, and describing the function of cells. The activities the students participate in are engaging and teach them the essentials of cells and microorganisms. The web page is well organized and easy to follow, making it very user-friendly. Overall this unit plan provides teachers with a great guide for developing a fifth grade cell unit, allowing teachers to adjust the lessons to meet the needs of their own students.

Website:

www.coreknowledge.net/CK/resrcs/lessons/05_5_Cells.pdf