MicrobeHunter.com

MicrobeHunter Magazine (May 2013)

Oliver — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:13:28 +0000

Welcome to the May 2013 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Paramecium movement

Oliver — Mon, 27 May 2013 13:19:37 +0000

Paramecia are single-celled organisms, belonging to the group of protozoa. They are covered with cilia, which beat and move the cell in the water. Diluted milk was added to the sample to make the water movement visible.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (April 2013)

Oliver — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:21:02 +0000

Welcome to the April 2013 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (March 2013)

Oliver — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:44:56 +0000

Welcome to the March 2013 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Focus Animation of a Water Flea

Oliver — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 22:00:29 +0000

Be patient as the picture loads…. The top image is a focus animation of a water flea, the bottom one a rocking GIF made with Picolay. Both images give a sense of depth perception. It appears as if there are two smaller organisms carried in the back of the mother. The dark spots are the [...]

MicrobeHunter Magazine (February 2013)

Oliver — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:52:41 +0000

Welcome to the February 2013 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Animated GIF of the leg of a honey bee (tarsus)

Oliver — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:10:26 +0000

Be patient as the picture loads. It is an animated GIF showing the claws of the leg of a honey bee (the tarsus). I have used the free image editing software GIMP to make this picture. The steps are as follows: Take a series of pictures of different focus. Make sure that they are numbered [...]

Microbehunter Magazine (January 2013)

Oliver — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:50:48 +0000

Welcome to the January 2013 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (December 2012)

Oliver — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:17:34 +0000

Welcome to the December 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Using clear nail polish to make impressions of plant leaves

Oliver — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:59:18 +0000

The leaves are the photosynthetic organs of a plant. The cells are packed with chloroplasts, which convert CO2 gas from the atmosphere and water to glucose, using the energy of sunlight. The produced glucose is then either respired and used as an energy source, or it is converted to other organic substances needed for plant [...]

Using the Microscope: Slide adjustment, focussing

Oliver — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 20:32:35 +0000

This instructional video gives an introduction into the correct use of the microscope.

Microbehunter Magazine (November 2012)

Oliver — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:26:27 +0000

Welcome to the November 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Testing the iPad camera

Oliver — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 07:04:48 +0000

The two images show the fresh water polyp Hydra sp taken with the iPad held in front of the eyepiece (40x and 400x total magnification). The images were uploaded directly and not edited (except resize).

Microbehunter Magazine (October 2012)

Oliver — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:55:37 +0000

Welcome to the October 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (September 2012)

Oliver — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:54:00 +0000

Welcome to the September 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Wing of a Fly

Oliver — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:10:11 +0000

The wing of flies and bees (of hymenoptera in general) are thin and membranous. Place the dry wing into Euparal mounting medium and place a further drop on top of the wing, before adding the cover glass. Wet mounts should also work well. Notice the veins and the numerous small hair, which cover the wing.

Microbehunter Magazine (August 2012)

Oliver — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:24:52 +0000

Welcome to the August 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Bird Feathers

Oliver — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:02:15 +0000

Bird feathers are relatively easy specimens to observe. Take a feather, cut off a small piece of the feather with scissors and embed it into a hydrophobic mounting medium, such as Euparal. Alternatively you can make a dry mount, and use no mounting medium at all (use adhesive tape to fix the cover glass to [...]

Microbehunter Magazine (July 2012)

Oliver — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:30:18 +0000

Welcome to the July 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (June 2012)

Oliver — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:48:15 +0000

Welcome to the June 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (May 2012)

Oliver — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:18:22 +0000

Welcome to the May 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (April 2012)

Oliver — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:03:22 +0000

Welcome to the April 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Video: The secret life of plankton

Oliver — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:33:06 +0000

I just want to share a nice video that I found. It’s worth watching.

Microbehunter Magazine (March 2012)

Oliver — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:20:53 +0000

Welcome to the March 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (February 2012)

Oliver — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:50:07 +0000

Welcome to the February 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Microbehunter Magazine (January 2012)

Oliver — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:52:32 +0000

Welcome to the January 2012 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Connecting a camera to a microscope

Oliver — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:09:56 +0000

There are several solutions for connecting a camera to a microscope. In this post I want to show you some of the ways that I used in the past and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Microbehunter Magazine (December 2011)

Oliver — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:40:45 +0000

Welcome to the December 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Buying microscopes for children

Oliver — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:54:17 +0000

What are some of the things to look out for when buying a microscope for children? Here is a FAQ which covers the essential points.

Microbehunter Magazine (November 2011)

Oliver — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:56:09 +0000

Welcome to the November 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Royal Society articles can now be downloaded for free

Oliver — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:40:42 +0000

The Notes and Records is a periodical publication by the Royal Society and is now available for free download. Many published articles relate to microscopy.

Safety issues in Microscopy

Oliver — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 11:50:53 +0000

Safety issues in microscopy are not only relevant to amateur microscopists, but also for teachers who want to conduct basic microbiological and microscopic work in a school laboratory. In this case the organisms are alive and depending on the type of organism, they may pose a possible health hazard. The post addresses some of the safety issues that should be taken into consideration.

The Multitouch Microscope: The future of Microscopy?

Oliver — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:13:38 +0000

This is a truly interesting innovation. The microscopy slide is scanned at high resolution and zooming and panning is done over the touch screen.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (October 2011)

Oliver — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:03:05 +0000

Welcome to the October 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (September 2011)

Oliver — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:11:25 +0000

Welcome to the September 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

A Projection Screen for Microscopes

Oliver — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:50:05 +0000

Projection screens are useful if several people want to look at the specimen. The screen is mounted on the trinocular head instead of a camera.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (August 2011)

Oliver — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:10:15 +0000

Welcome to the August 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

What are the effects of air bubbles under the cover glass?

Oliver — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:00:40 +0000

Air bubbles in wet mounts can also have beneficial effects. They may supply ciliates and other organisms with oxygen.

How does alcohol chemically fix specimens?

Oliver — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:00:07 +0000

Alcohol can be used for fixing specimens, but is not commonly used for fixing bacteria.

What organisms can be viewed using a wet mount?

Oliver — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 10:00:25 +0000

A wet mount uses a liquid mounting medium, in most cases water. It is also possible to make a wet mount using pure glycerine. Wet mounts are temporary in nature and can not be stored over extended time periods. A wet mount is probably one of the most universal ways of preparing a slide. The [...]

How to prepare squash specimen samples for microscopic observation

Oliver — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 07:51:52 +0000

Squashing the specimens (instead of cutting them) is a fast and easy way to prepare specimens.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (July 2011)

Oliver — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:21:19 +0000

Welcome to the July 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Dandelion pollen in dark-field

Oliver — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 06:24:39 +0000

The pollen grains from a dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) were collected and air-mounted (no liquid mounting medium used). Eleven separate images were stacked together to increase the depth of field and to produce the final image. The color contrast was then adjusted. Dark-field patch stop was used.

Microscopic observation of EHEC?

Oliver — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:08:34 +0000

Is it possible to use microscopes to identify pathogens, such as the EHEC bacterium, which currently (May-June 2011) causes problems in some parts of Europe? The answer is, unfortunately, no.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (June 2011)

Oliver — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:27:59 +0000

Welcome to the June 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Muscle fibers in the tongue of a rabbit

Oliver — Sat, 21 May 2011 07:57:09 +0000

The zoomable image shows the cross-section through the tongue of a rabbit. The muscles fibers and taste buds are visible.

Unpacking the Leica BM E microscope

Oliver — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:05:02 +0000

Here we're having a look at the Leica BM E educational microscope. This model is equipped with a 4x, 10x and 40x objective, with the possibility of adding a further objective.

MicrobeHunter Magazine (May 2011)

Oliver — Sun, 01 May 2011 11:09:48 +0000

Welcome to the May 2011 issue of MicrobeHunter magazine. You can download the PDF and order a printed version.

Pumpkin stem

Oliver — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:00:48 +0000

The image shows a cross section through the stem of a pumpkin. Pumpkins belong to the dicotyledonous plants. The circular arrangement of the vascular tissue indicates this. Fifty five individual images were stitched together to make this zoomable image. The final size is about 100 megapixels (10000×10000 pixels). Happy exploring!

Artery and vein cross-section

Oliver — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:00:14 +0000

Use the horizontal slider to zoom into the image. On the left you can see a collapsed vein (the structure with the shape of a “2″), the oval structure on the right bottom is an artery. You can clearly see that the wall of the artery is substantially thicker. This is necessary to withstand the [...]