The website, www.microscopy.org, is the public face of the Microscopy Society of America. Any viewer can quickly learn about the history of the society, the current leadership, the committees, the member benefits, and the services that the society provides.

Of the winged insects, adults have one or two pairs of wings. During the past 250 million years of insect evolution, there have been no exceptions to this. In a fascinating study, Benjamin Prud'homme, Caroline Minervino, Mélanie Hocine, Jessica Cande, Aïcha Aouane, Héloïse Dufour, Victoria Kassner, and Nicolas Gompel may have found something resembling an exception.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one of the most powerful and dynamic methods for performing nanoscale imaging and materials characterization, enabling scientists and researchers to attain atomic resolution and measure nano-mechanical material properties in-situ, all while requiring minimal sample preparation. In spite of these clear advantages, user adoption of AFM has been limited by the technique's slow imaging speed as compared to light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, recent advances in AFM technology have increased AFM imaging speeds by over an order of magnitude, opening up a wide range of new applications while greatly improving the user experience.

During the last twenty-five years of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic resolution has become routine in studies of a wide range of materials. While less routine, atomic force microscopy (AFM) also can achieve atomic resolution, even on insulating surfaces. These two microscopy approaches have significantly advanced our understanding of the surface physics and chemistry of many important phenomena. A significant contribution of scanning probe microscopy is that it can characterize local properties as well as structure. Surprising levels of spatial resolution have been achieved in scanning probes that can access continuum properties such as resistance, capacitance, etc..

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) permits measurements on biological samples below the limits of light microscopy resolution under physiological environments and other controlled conditions. Consequently, AFM has become an increasingly valuable technique in cell biology. One of the most exciting advances in AFM instrumentation has been its integration with the light microscope. This permits investigators to take advantage of the power and utility of light microscopy and scanning probe microscopy simultaneously. In combining a light microscope with an AFM, scanner components must be specifically designed so that they do not adversely impact the light microscope's optical imaging capabilities. For example, an AFM-ILM (inverted light microscope) hybrid system should be fully compatible with the highest quality, off-the-shelf 0.50–0.55 NA numerical aperture (NA) OEM objectives and condensers.

The discovery by Novoselov and Geim of a simple method to transfer a single atomic layer of carbon from the c-face of graphite to a substrate suitable for measurements of its electrical and optical properties has led to an increased interest in studying and employing two-dimensional model systems. An overview of electron and phonon properties of graphene and their relationship to the one-dimensional form of carbon known as nanotubes can be found in. The unique chemical, mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of graphene lead to its many application possibilities such as: single molecule detectors, high-strength low-weight new materials, design of new semiconductor devices, etc.

Multiple techniques now exist for the investigation of nanoscale magnetic properties, extending from Lorentz microscopy and magneto-optical imaging (MOKE) to scanning probe microscopy approaches (see Figure 1 for an overview). Among the latter, the most widely used techniques offering both high spatial and high magnetic-field resolution are magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM). Both techniques are well known for their versatility and ease of use and can be further adapted for operation in cryogenic conditions. This property is crucial for all areas of research where high magnetic fields are required and where the influence of thermal energy/broadening needs to be suppressed. For example, much of today's fundamental research on superconductivity, spintronics, and magnetic data storage is taking place at low temperatures.

Microscopists are looking at smaller features every day, and the potential to see artifacts that degrade or obscure these small features has never been greater. Because many current microscopy techniques are conducted in vacuum environments, residual gaseous components in the vacuum chamber may have substantial effects on the data collected. This brief review will describe some approaches to keep the quality of data collected in electron and ion-beam microscopes at the highest possible levels. In short, we will attempt to “keep it clean.”

Sir David Brewster was a Scottish physicist who invented the kaleidoscope, made major improvements to the stereoscope, and discovered the polarization phenomenon of light reflected at specific angles. Brewster was born in Jedburgh, Scotland, in 1781 and grew to become a brilliant student who entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of 12 to study the ministry. He was a prolific writer and became editor of the Edinburgh Magazine in 1802 and the Edinburgh Encyclopedia in 1808. In 1799 as a teenager, Brewster's interests turned to physics with a keen focus on optics, and he constructed several telescopes while dabbling in the physics of light. Brewster was a licensed minister of the Church of Scotland but never practiced this career, instead pursuing the finer aspects of optics and light.

Selected postings from the Microscopy Listserver from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011. Complete listings and subscription information can be obtained at http://www.microscopy.com. Postings may have been edited to conserve space or for clarity.

Following is a list of microscopy related meetings and courses. The editors would greatly appreciate input to this list via the electronic submission form under “events/other microscopy events” at the MSA webpage: www.microscopy.org. We will gladly add hypertext links to the notice on the web and insert a listing of the meeting in the next issue.

We do lots of immunolabeling on small bits of Drosophila tissue that always float on top of the fix due to the surface tension. We can use low amounts of triton x-100 to overcome this, but I would like to be able to leave detergents out until I am convinced the fixation is good. Do you know of a good surfactant that would break the surface tension but not permeabilize cells?