Introduction

The Electron Microscopy Unit is managed by Mr David McCarthy. He set up the Unit in 1977 with the purchase of a Transmission Electron Microscope (Philips 201) and the necessary ancillary equipment.

The Unit’s services have become essential to many of the School’s research programmes. In 1984, a Scanning Electron Microscope was purchased (Jeol JSM35). This Microscope was replaced in 1991 with a state of the art Philips XL 20, augmented with Cryo facilities and in 2003, this microscope was replaced with a higher spec XL 30 Microscope. In 2009, CIF funding ( 50% ) and FEI sponsorship (50%) allowed the purchase of a FEI Quanta 200 FEG ESEM. This Microscope has 3 modes of operation; High vacuum, high resolution, Low vacuum, high resolution ( uncoated sample imaging ) and Environmental, for imaging of partially dried samples.

A second Transmission Electron Microscope (Philips CM 120 Bio-Twin) was purchased in 1998 with funding from the EPSRC, which enabled the establishment of Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy facilities.  Additional equipment was also funded on this grant - a Gatan 626 Cryo-holder and a Leica EMFCS Cryo-Ultramicrotome. This technique of Cryo-TEM enables visualisation of frozen-hydrated thin film preparations of liposomes and other nano-particles where dehydration and negative staining is undesired.

The Unit also has a Nikon FXA optical microscope, a multi-user facility which is equipped with fluorescence facilities and digital image capture system.