Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A wet stage modification to a scanning electron microscope.

V N Robinson

    Journal of Microscopy
    |January 1, 1975
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Microlesions on rumen papillae of sheep fed diets of wheat grain.

    Research in veterinary science·1977
    Same author

    A simple technique for examining frozen hydrated specimens in the scanning electron microscope.

    Journal of microscopy·1975
    Same journal

    In operando imaging of the space-charge region in a 4H-SiC MOSCAP using STEM-EBIC.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    Same journal

    The future of DXA: How AI is transforming bone health diagnostics.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    Same journal

    The Origins of Ploem's Filter Cube: A Pandora's Box.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    Same journal

    The reproducibility gap in graph neural network workflows for cell dynamics: A checklist-driven case study.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    Same journal

    Assessing the reproducibility of a bioimage analysis workflow characterising tissue flow in Drosophila.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    Same journal

    Modular training resources for bioimage analysis.

    Journal of microscopy·2026
    See all related articles

    Researchers modified a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to image hydrated biological specimens in water vapor. This breakthrough allows for high-resolution surface topography observation of samples in their native, wet environments.

    Area of Science:

    • Materials Science
    • Microscopy
    • Biology

    Background:

    • Traditional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) requires samples to be dehydrated, limiting the study of biological specimens in their native states.
    • Observing hydrated biological samples necessitates specialized techniques to maintain sample integrity under vacuum conditions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To modify a JSM2 scanning electron microscope (SEM) to accommodate hydrated specimens within its vacuum system.
    • To enable high-resolution surface topography imaging of biological samples in a water vapor environment.

    Main Methods:

    • A modification was made to the vacuum system of a JSM2 SEM to introduce water vapor up to 1.3 kPa (10 Torr).
    • Hydrated specimens were placed inside the specimen chamber and surrounded by water vapor.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Surface topography was observed using a wide-angle backscattered electron detector in normal scanning mode.

    • Main Results:

    • The modified SEM successfully imaged hydrated biological specimens partially immersed in water.
    • A resolution of approximately 0.2 µm was achieved for biological specimens at temperatures just above 0°C.
    • The technique retained the characteristic depth of focus of SEM imaging.

    Conclusions:

    • The vacuum system modification allows for the examination of hydrated biological specimens in a SEM.
    • This method provides high-resolution surface topography imaging of wet samples, preserving their natural state.
    • The technique is suitable for studying biological samples under near-physiological conditions.