Category: Theory

These posts have a more theoretical approach to the subject matter. It provides a basic overview of microscope optics.

Microscopic observation of EHEC?

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.

How to obtain the best resolution with your microscope

The resolution that a microscope is capable of achieving is probably the single most important factor that determines the quality of a microscopic image. Without a sufficiently high resolution, magnification is not possible without loss of quality. There are a variety of different factors that determine the achievable resolution. Some of these factors can not be actively influenced by the microscopist, others can. Some of the factors play a larger role, others a smaller one. In the following post, I want to summarize some of these factors.

Digital methods for improving microscopic photographs

Digital photography gives the users many new possibilities in improving photographs taken through the microscope. This post gives an overview of the different image processing functions that can be applied to microscopic images.