THE MICROSCOPE, in one form or another, must be the most widely used of all
scientific instruments. Every laboratory worth its salt will have at least one,
for the day鈥檚 work for a microscopist can range from testing or failure analysis
in a materials research laboratory, to cytology, haematology or pathology in a
hospital or medical research unit, to petrological or palaeontological
investigations in a geological laboratory. Familiarity with the instrument often
begins early on, for all science departments in schools and universities have
them.
During the first week in September, more than 150 electron microscopists from
all over the world will gather at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, for a
conference to celebrate 100 years since J. J. Thompson discovered the electron,
and 50 years since the Institute of Physics established its Electron Microscopy
and Analysis Group. The discussions will range from transmission and scanning
electron microscopy, to scanned probe microscopy and surface analysis
techniques, such as secondary ion mass spectrometry, which some of today鈥檚
microscopes are designed to accomplish.
鈥淭he microscopists attending the event will come from a wide variety of
backgrounds,鈥� says Mark Aindow of the School of Metallurgy and Materials Science
at the University of Birmingham and secretary to the conference. 鈥淭hey include
chemists and material scientists, who use microscopy to solve their problems.
Some are concerned with riddles of fundamental physics for which electron
microscopes can be used to conduct experiments. Others are interested in
developing novel techniques using the specialist equipment of the microscope or
its accessories.鈥�
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But let鈥檚 not forget the humble light microscope. Many undergraduates,
especially those in the life sciences, geology and material science, are taught
the rudiments of this instrument as part of their studies. However, according to
Peter Evennett, the education secretary at the Royal Microscopical Society,
which has a membership in Britain of 1900, it is a technique which few are well
taught to do. 鈥淚t鈥檚 is a bit like driving a car,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ots of people use a
microscope, but few are prepared to admit that they do it badly, don鈥檛
understand how it works or could do it better. Few scientists know how to use it
correctly or to its fullest extent鈥�. There is very little formal teaching
available in either light or electron microscopy, though their applications
cover the whole gamut of materials from metals and plastics to paper and
biological specimens.
Only a few scientists make microscopy their career. Most use it as a part of
their work in research and development, in quality control, or as part of the
scientific services that they provide, such as histology or forensic science.
Simple microscopy they can do themselves, but the more difficult it becomes the
more likely they are to call for the help of a professional microscopist.
Roger Angold has made microscopy his career. He works at RHM Technology, the
Lord Rank Centre, High Wycombe. His devotion to 鈥渢he excitement and satisfaction
of using microscopes鈥� began when, as a boy, he was given one as a present. Paul
Hirst, administrator at the Royal Microscopical Society, says many microscopists
begin that way and thinks there might be room for an amateur microscopist
division in his society .
Angold claims to be a 鈥渉umble, bench working scientist鈥�. His main concern is
with foodstuffs and things that turn up in them. 鈥淢icroscopists are often
peculiar, twitchy people, with a strange sense of humour,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut we are
confronted by so many different problems that life is never dull.鈥� He deals with
complaints from customers and with problems arising in the company鈥檚 many
factories. A combination of X-ray spectrometry and light, and electron
microscopy usually reveals the composition of things people say they have found
in their food. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what you can do under the microscope now. We can
bake bread, fry crisps and cook cakes in our microscopes. And while we need a
high vacuum for the production of the electron beam, clouds of gas can be
injected close to the specimen.鈥�
Good specimen preparation and knowing which technique to use in each specific
circumstance are vital aspects of the job. A microscopist could be polishing
metals after mounting them in some compound, cutting thin sections of biological
tissues at low temperature, or depositing a thin metallic film onto the surface
of a section to dissipate heat or reduce charging effects.
So, what should you do if you want to be a microscopist? First learn how to
use one at school or university. Alternatively attend one of the courses in
light microscopy and associated techniques that the Royal Microscopical Society
organises, or ask an experienced microscopist in your laboratory to train
you.
A number of postgraduate courses are available for aspiring electron
microscopists. Birkbeck College, London, runs a part-time course for life
scientists leading to an advanced certificate in electron microscopy and
biological image processing. It includes studies of transmission and scanning
electron microscopy and electron diffraction plus the basic operation of
microscopes and the imaging of materials.
The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, has a one-year full-time course that
leads to a master鈥檚 degree in biological electron microscopy. It covers
everything from the preparation of specimens to the physics of the instrument
and its operation, plus how to interpret the images and collect data from
them.
A course on ultrastructural anatomy and pathology is available at the
University of Belfast and leads to a master鈥檚 degree in medical sciences.
Students on this course learn many of the techniques included in the Aberystwyth
course but specifically applied to medical science.
An alternative career is to be found in the design, development, manufacture
and sale of microscopes and their ancillary equipment. In Britain this is
possible with microscope manufacturers such as Leo or CamScan, both in
Cambridge, and with Agar Scientific, Stanstead, which specialises in microscope
accessories. Other major manufacturers include: for electron microscopes, JEOL,
Philips and Zeiss, and for light microscopes, Leica, Nikon, Olympus and Zeiss,
all of which have marketing and customer services departments in Britain. Two
other small manufacturers are Prior Scientific Instruments, Cambridge, and
Pyser-S.G.I., Edenbridge. As for job adverts, naturally 快猫短视频
is best, but advertisements also occasionally appear in the Proceedings of
the Royal Microscopical Society.