Some arcellinid amoebae in SEM

[Bruce Taylor]

The discussion of Galeripora dentata on another thread prompted me to share a few images I've made of these lovely critters.

Netzelia corona, from the Mer Bleue bog in Ottawa:

Netzelia corona.jpg (156.74 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

Lesquereusia gibbosa:

lesquereusia gibbosa.jpg (220.57 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

...and Galeripora dentata, from a fen in the woods behind my house:

Galeripora dentata.jpg (208.28 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

[DonSchaeffer]

These are miraculous images. How on earth did you get them?

[Francisco]

Magnificent images.
Do you have an SEM?
Greetings

[Bruce Taylor]

Magnificent images.
Do you have an SEM?
Greetings

Greetings to you too, Francisco! I do not have an SEM, but I am able to use a very nice one at the Canadian Museum of Nature, where I am a Research Associate.

[Bruce Taylor]

These are miraculous images. How on earth did you get them?

The images were made on an Scanning Electron Microscope at a campus of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Gatineau, Quebec.

Basically, I collected some nice shells, picked them out of the water with micropipettes, mounted them on aluminum "stubs" with double-sided conductive tape and left them to dry for a couple of days. Then (with some guidance from the expert who maintains the equipment), I sputtered them with a thin layer of gold and put then in the SEM. Getting nice images takes practise, but I'm starting to get the hang of it, I think.

[Francisco]

Magnificent images.
Do you have an SEM?
Greetings

Greetings to you too, Francisco! I do not have an SEM, but I am able to use a very nice one at the Canadian Museum of Nature, where I am a Research Associate.

Congratulations.
The images are spectacular.

[Bruce Taylor]

Congratulations.
The images are spectacular.

Thanks, Francisco! I still have a lot to learn, but I've been pretty happy with the results, so far.

[PeteM]

Thanks for sharing those wonderful images, Bruce.

[Bruce Taylor]

A few more images.

Like other members of its genus, Difflugia brevicolla builds its shell from found materials. This one has incorporated a diatom (center) and the cyst of a golden alga (spherical object, upper right).

Difflugia brevicolla.jpg (115.37 KiB) Viewed 1599 times

Arcella gibbosa:

Arcella gibbosa.jpg (120.1 KiB) Viewed 1599 times

And lastly, a close view of the surface of an Arcella, showing the hexagonal proteinaceous units it secretes to build its shell. This one is from a new (undescribed) species from a local bog:

Arcella hexagons.jpg (166.72 KiB) Viewed 1599 times

[zzffnn]

Stunning and fascinating images, thank you for sharing, Bruce!

[charlie g]

Wonderful microscopy sharing, bruce, thank you. A few years ago I found a few institutions with optical microscopy labs, and SEM microscopy labs , both which for a set of costs, permit non-academics to use their equipment with a

lab facilitator/ mentor. Does your facility offer such pay for use of specific instruments?

Astronomy in areas of 'dark skies' offers such pay for use of specific instruments.

Thank you for this peek at SEM microscopy, bruce. charlie guevara

[Bruce Taylor]

Does your facility offer such pay for use of specific instruments?

As far as I know the facility is only used by museum personnel and affiliated researchers. Access to the museum laboratories and collections seems to be controlled pretty carefully (key cards, government security checks etc.). As an independent researcher, I feel very fortunate to have the use of equipment I could never afford to buy.

[hkv]

Thanks for sharing Bruce. Wonderful images and amazing details! It is truly remarkable how a singe cell organism can build these structures.

[Francisco]

Very very nice.

[Bruce Taylor]

Thanks, Francisco and hkv. They are truly amazing creatures!

[Sabatini]

Great shots!

[MichaelG.]

I keep returning to < Difflugia brevicolla.jpg >

All of the images are wonderful in various ways …
but that one somehow encapsulates how little we comprehend.

It astonishes me every time I look at it.

MichaelG.

[macnmotion]

You've just pretty much ruined any future imaging I'll do of tetate amoeba

Incredible set of images.

[macnmotion]

This one is from a new (undescribed) species from a local bog:

Do you get to name this species?

[Bruce Taylor]

Do you get to name this species?

Only if our paper is accepted for publication.

[macnmotion]

Do you get to name this species?

Only if our paper is accepted for publication.

You'll have to let us know. I'd love to read the paper when it's published.

[Josephus Miller]

Do you get to name this species?

Only if our paper is accepted for publication.

You'll have to let us know. I'd love to read the paper when it's published.

I second! Congratulations on such a wonderful opportunity (to say nothing of the wonderful images!)