In 2010, the world's largest annual microscopy meeting and instrument exhibition, Microscopy & Microanalysis, will be held August 1–5 in Portland, Oregon. This delightful meeting location was the site for our successful 1999 M&M meeting, and we return to Portland by popular demand.

Fossil arachnids—especially those dating from the Carboniferous period, 360–299 million years ago—are often found in mines or quarries within concretions of siderite (FeCO3). Most of the methods to study these fossils are either destructive or damaging to the specimens and are limited in their resolution, thereby limiting the information that can be derived from the fossil. In an elegant study, Russell Garwood, Jason Dunlop, and Mark Sutton have demonstrated that X-ray micro-tomography (XMT) can reveal hitherto unseen details in such fossils without damaging the specimens.

Over the past decade, deconvolution of 3D light optical microscopy data has advanced from an obscure technique employed by only a few dedicated souls to a routine method that is now available with all modern microscope systems. Dramatic increases in computer power, algorithm sophistication, and software ease of use have brought the power of deconvolution to the general microscope user, and processing large 3D datasets is no longer a rate-limiting step in the imaging process.

Neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) are extensively interconnected, and consequently almost half of the human brain is occupied by wiring in the form of the myelinated axons. Dysfunction and degeneration of these axons can result in profound and permanent disability. Axons are much more complex than simple wires, however. Signal propagation relies on elaborate ultrastructural specializations at the nodes of Ranvier, which are demarcated by gaps between myelin sheaths. As living extensions of neurons, axons also require constant replenishment of metabolites and organelles such as energy-generating mitochondria. Studies of pathogenesis of myelinated axons are often constrained by microscopic complexity that requires nanometer-scale resolution over substantial three-dimensional distances.

When it comes to mineral synthesis, there is a lot we can learn from nature. Although we can synthesize a range of materials in the laboratory, the experimental conditions are often constrained to particular ranges of temperature, pH, etc. Biological systems, on the other hand, seem to be able to produce individual minerals and complex composite mineral structures under a variety of conditions, many of which are far from those applied to create their synthetic counterparts. Understanding how nature does this could provide a means to produce novel biomimetic materials with potential applications in a diverse range of fields from medicine to materials engineering.

Nano- and micro-patterned substrates have become a powerful tool in cell biology in recent years. Although great progress has been made in applying these substrates to cell populations or single cells, visualization of cells in direct contact with nanostructured interfaces remains a challenge. A central question that needs to be addressed by imaging is the number of biomolecules in contact with a single cell.

Our group studies the spread of cells in primary breast tumors to distant sites, a process that is called metastasis. In order to metastasize, cells migrate and invade the surrounding areas (invasion) and enter the blood (intravasation).

The Microscopy & Microanalysis Meeting (M&M) is the premier meeting for biological scientists, materials scientists, and nanotechnologists who use microscopy or microanalysis in their professional activities. Microscopy & Microanalysis 2010 will be no exception!

The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) is the world's largest professional association of microscopists. The society presently provides the only forum for certification of technologists in the disciplines of biological transmission electron microscopy in the Americas. The certification program was initiated in 1978 to establish standards of technical skills required for ensuring proficiency in biological microscopy practices that could be recognized as leading to national certifications.

Over the past decade numerous institutions have developed programs geared toward providing scanning electron microscopy capabilities for use by teachers and educators in K–12 classrooms. Perhaps the longest continually running outreach effort began at Iowa State University in the mid-1990s. Termed Project ExCEL, the Extended Classroom for Enhanced Learning, this effort employs a web-operable SEM, termed the WebSEM, which was developed in cooperation with RJ Lee Group. Lessons have been conducted in a number of states around the U.S., as well as several international locations. Several other sites also exist; perhaps the most successful at maintaining a steady user base and marketing itself is Bugscope at the University of Illinois. A summary and listing of other sites most easily found by a simple web search is included in reference.

Dominique-François-Jean Arago, better known simply as François Arago, was born on February 26, 1786, in Eastagel, France. A member of a political family, Arago was provided with a classical education, studying first at Perpignan and then at the École Polytechnique in Paris. In 1809, at the age of 23, Arago became a professor of analytical geometry at the prestigious Paris school and was subsequently made director of the Paris Observatory. Interested in a variety of scientific fields, Arago's greatest contributions were in optics, astronomy, and electromagnetism. A staunch republican, Arago was also active in politics and was a distinguished statesman later in life.

Historically, most SEM operators used accelerating voltages that were fairly high, quite often in the range of 15–20 kV. Now progress in electron optics has made low-voltage observations a routine mode of SEM operation. The greatly improved range of utilized accelerating voltages provides the SEM operator with additional flexibility and with additional responsibilities for choosing the right SEM settings for image acquisition.

Selected postings from the Microscopy Listserver from October 11, 2009 to November 30, 2009. Complete listings and subscription information can be obtained at http://www.microscopy.com. Postings may have been edited to conserve space or for clarity.

Having trouble sleeping at night worrying about technique? Can't seem to find the right words to say to your technicians? Let Abbe have a whack at it. What could go wrong? Send your posers to his assistant at jshields@cb.uga.edu.

No recent phenomenon in scientific publishing is more remarkable than the rise of the Impact Factor (IF). Once an obscure statistic devised by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), it has now assumed a prominent place in the minds of researchers and administrators.