infocus Magazine - Issue 80, December 2025

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR wand): Imaging and Cancer Prognosis from the Same Technology Why I upload my microscopy videos to YouTube 2025 RMS Awards Spotlight on…Alfonso Schmidt, President of Microscopy New Zealand

Plus...News, Calendar, Reviews, Reports 1

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

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contents features 4

The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR wand): Imaging and Cancer Prognosis from the Same Technology Vijay Sharma, James Ingham, Steve Barrett, Caroline Smith, Janet Risk, Richard Shaw and Peter Weightman

16

Why I upload my microscopy videos to YouTube Alexis Gkantiragas

32

2025 RMS Awards

52

Spotlight on…Alfonso Schmidt, President of Microscopy New Zealand

regulars 10 24 36 42 62 66

Calendar Journal of Microscopy New Member Welcome Office News Company News New Products

reports and other features 13

Report: Annual Meeting of the Chilean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

14

RMS guidance included in new biology booklet for secondary schools

18

2025 RMS Annual Highlights

50

Cell Motility Club Meeting 2025 – Best talk prize-winner, Lakshmi Balasubramaniam

64

RMS and BioImagingUK receive Technician Commitment 'Impact Award'

74

Report: FEMS EUROMAT 2025

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MAGAZ I N E

infocus is the Magazine of the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) – the only truly international microscopical society. The RMS is dedicated to advancing science, developing careers and supporting wider understanding of science and microscopy. infocus Magazine 37/38 St Clements Oxford, OX4 1AJ, UK Tel. +44 (0)1865 254760 Email: infocus@rms.org.uk Website: www.infocus.org.uk Scientific Editor Leandro Lemgruber, University of Glasgow, UK Editor Owen Morton Tel. + (0)1865 254763, Email: editor@infocus.org.uk Editorial Board Myfanwy Adams, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK Maadhav Kothari, Zeiss Microscopy, UK Hilary Sandig, Cancer Research, UK Trevor Almeida, University of Glasgow, UK Tim Young, University of Cambridge Ferran Valderrama, City St George’s, University of London Thomas Slater, Cardiff University Advertising Email: advertising@infocus.org.uk ISSN: 1750-4740 © 2025 Royal Microscopical Society infocus is published four times per year by the RMS. Designed and produced

by Creative Design. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the RMS is forbidden. Views expressed in the Magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the RMS.

RoyalMicroscopicalSociety @RoyalMicroSoc @RoyalMicroSoc

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

FROM THE SCIENTIFIC EDITOR Dear Readers, It is my pleasure to present our fourth and final issue of infocus for 2025, as we come to the end of what has been another action-packed year!

Just as time itself often seems to fly, the world of microscopy, imaging and data analysis rarely gives the impression of dragging its heels. Amid the excitement and noise generated by each new innovation, piece of technology or application, I sometimes wonder if we always keep sight of the bigger picture – namely the essential role of microscopy in answering the biggest questions, improving people’s lives and tackling disease.

Perhaps a helpful reminder comes in the form of a fascinating piece byVijay Sharma and colleagues at University of Liverpool, on The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR Wand). This is a really exciting development in ongoing efforts to understand cancer behaviour, and to accurately predict the progression of the disease.

As the authors playfully note, their ‘wand’ may not be magical, but could yet have great “power and impact”.

On the subject of science communication, we have a lovely contribution from Alexis Gkantiragas, about his use of social media – in this case,YouTube – to share his work on bumblebee parasites with the wider public.

As he points out, grant applications increasingly require applicants to explain how research results will be communicated to a wider audience, and Alexis’s effective and low-cost approach is a great way to gain some exposure.

As an international society, the RMS has always sought to strengthen links with other organisations dedicated to furthering the science of microscopy around the world. Earlier this year, the Society was proud to sign a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Microscopy New Zealand (MNZ). In this issue, we are delighted to feature an interview with MNZ’s new President, Alfonso Schmidt.

Finally – since this is our last issue of 2025, we include a quickfire round-up of some of the best highlights from an action-packed year at the RMS. As always, I hope you enjoy reading these articles and all the other content in our December issue.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Slàinte!

Leandro Lemgruber

COVER IMAGE: Fusing PHOSPHO1-MnG: cellular or solar flares?

By Charlotte Clews, University of Edinburgh. Osteoblasts stably expressing PHOSPHO1-MNeonGreen (488) and costained with Phalloidin (594) and Hoescht (405) to allow insights into the molecular basis of bone formation. Slides were imaged using a Zeiss 880 confocal microscope with airyscan detection. Spherical PHOSPHO1 objects appear to radiate from the perinuclear region resembling, in this cell, solar flares… if the sun was blue, green and 20 microns in diameter!

3

The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR wand): Imaging and Cancer Prognosis from the Same Technology Vijay Sharma1-2, James Ingham3, Steve Barrett3, Caroline Smith3, Janet Risk2, Richard Shaw2 and Peter Weightman3 1

Cellular Pathology, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2

Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative

Biology, University of Liverpool. 3 Department of Physics, University of Liverpool.

W

e are moving into a new era in microscopy technology development in which the

yielded intensity ratios that discriminated between

microscopy technologies, in addition to the

metastatic oral cancer and lymphoid tissue with

imaging function they have always provided,

sensitivities and specificities of 98.8 ± 0.1% and

increasingly provide us with additional predictive

99.89 ± 0.01% respectively (Ellis et al, 2021). This

and prognostic information which would be

research has recently been confirmed by a larger

impossible to derive by any other method.

study on 46 tissue cores (Al Jedani et al, 2023) that

Oral cancer is one of the fastest developing cancers in the UK, with over 12,000 new cases a year. It is often preceded by oral lesions with approximately 1 in 8 progressing to cancer. In order to optimise therapy, it is crucial to identify those lesions that will progress to cancer. The current best practice

IR biomarkers, 1252 cm-1 and 1285 cm-1, which

also provided insight into the chemical composition of this cancer (Al Jedani et al, 2024). When applied to the prognosis of oral cancer lesions, accuracies of ~80% can be achieved – a significant advance on current histopathological techniques (Ellis et al, 2022; Ingham et al, 2022).

is to take tissue biopsies which are then examined

In addition to oral cancer, similar problems are

by an histopathologist. However, histopathological

present across a range of other cancer types. For

assessments are labour-intensive,complex,have poor

example, it is difficult to predict which cases of

inter-observer reliability, do not completely reflect

ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast are going to

the risk of long-term malignant transformation and

progress. If these patients can be identified with

correctly predict cancer progression in only ~40%

confidence, treatment can be stratified on the basis

of cases. Many patients require repeated biopsies

of the prediction of progression and many patients

which are painful and delay surgery. There is a need

could be spared surgery.

to be able to predict with accuracy which patients are going to progress and which are not.

4

early work on oral cancer where it identified two

Ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) is the in-situ precursor lesion of invasive breast carcinoma.

The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR

Preliminary research on a small cohort of specimens

Wand) is based on a patented machine learning

supports the hypothesis that the methodology

algorithm that makes it possible to identify key

outlined above will identify IR biomarkers which will

infrared biomarkers that discriminate between

predict which cases of DCIS will progress or recur.

different tissue types (Ingham et al, 2019a). The

In a study of six DCIS biopsies we have identified

power of the algorithm was demonstrated by the

eight biomarkers that predict the prognosis with

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

sensitivities of ~80% and specificities of ~75%, a

cancer, a study on a cohort of biopsies from 10

considerable improvement on current approaches.

patients achieved sensitivities and specificities of

A

Receiver

Operating

Characteristic

curve

(ROC curve) is a graph of the True Positive Rate (Sensitivity) plotted against the False Positive Rate (1 - Specificity) at various decision thresholds. It is one of the most commonly used and accepted methods

83% and 81% respectively, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.9, in identifying those patients who do not benefit from neoadjuvant therapy. It may also be possible to use this technology to measure the receptor status of breast tumours rapidly.

for assessing the performance of a classification

The LDIR Wand was born out of pioneering

model. In preliminary research on invasive breast

technology developed on the ALICE accelerator

5

facility, the UK’s only 4th generation light source, at Daresbury Laboratory well over a decade ago. The University of Liverpool physics group developed a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) on the ALICE infrared (IR) free electron laser and led a collaboration with colleagues from four universities and three hospitals in applying a range of techniques in studies of oesophageal, cervical and prostate cancers (Ellis et al 2021Smith et al, 2013; Haliwell et al, 2016; Inghan et al, 2019b; Al-Jedani et al, 2024).

It was recognised that while IR spectral images are able to distinguish between tissue types, and have been studied for decades, scientific instruments did not represent this information in a way that could be translated into clinic. Furthermore, analytical methods could not summarise the information that was undoubtably present in the spectral images in a way that captured the essential differences between types of tissue. If the information content of the spectra could be captured in a small number of the several thousand wavelengths measured in an IR spectrum, then it would be possible to radically simplify the instrumentation. This observation led to a focus on the development of algorithms that discriminated between spectral images. The

to tissue, meaning that once the tissue has been tested it can then be used for other purposes. This means that the tissue section could be scanned by LUCID prior to being stained with H&E, creating a seamless integration into pathology laboratory workflows.

It is difficult to be certain precisely which chemical moieties in the cell are responsible for the discriminating IR biomarkers that are identified. It is likely that the signals are a composite of signals from DNA (both mutational and epigenetic), RNA, proteins and even potentially the metabolome.

It is therefore likely that they are detecting shifts in entire cellular networks at multiple levels of organisation, making them practical, easily elicited and rapid multiomic biomarkers.

Any technology with the power to accurately predict the progression of cancer has the potential to revolutionise cancer care. The LDIR Wand has shown an unparalleled ability to predict cancer behaviour in every cancer type to which it has so far been applied. Our vision is that, like its fictional namesake in the tale of Harry Potter, it will have power and impact. The power to predict smarter, the impact of saving lives.

identification of a few key IR wavelengths led to the development of the LDIR Wand and a related device for use in histopathology, the Liverpool University Cancer Imaging Device (LUCID).

The algorithm is able to extract a small number of key IR biomarkers that discriminate between tissue types. Intriguingly, these lie not within the spectral peaks where most researchers have been looking, but often between the peaks. Having a small number of IR biomarkers makes it possible to use a small number of IR lasers in the construction of LUCID and the hand-held LDIR Wand probe. These are compact devices that are simple to use and do not require any training in spectroscopic techniques.

The LDIR Wand technology has a number of distinct advantages. It can be automated and is simpler, cheaper and more accurate than other methods of addressing these clinical problems. Also, unlike other approaches, this approach is non-destructive

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REFERENCES S. Al Jedani, C. Lima, C.I. Smith, P.J. Gunning, R.J. Shaw, S.D. Barrett, A. Triantafyllou, J.M. Risk, R. Goodacre and P. Weightman. An optical photothermal infrared investigation of lymph nodal metastases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Sci Rep 14, 16050 (2024). doi 10.1038/s41598-024-66977-z S. Al Jedani, C.I. Smith, J. Ingham, C.A. Whitley, B.G. Ellis, A. Triantafyllou, P.J. Gunning, P. Gardner, J.M. Risk, R.J. Shaw, P. Weightman and S.D. Barrett. Tissue discrimination in head and neck cancer using image fusion of IR and optical microscopy. Analyst 148, 4189-4194 (2023). doi 10.1039/D3AN00692A B.G. Ellis, C.A. Whitley, S. Al Jedani, C.I. Smith, P.J. Gunning, P. Harrison, P. Unsworth, P. Gardner, R.J. Shaw, S.D. Barrett, A. Triantafyllou, J.M. Risk and P. Weightman. Insight into metastatic oral cancer tissue

from novel analyses using FTIR spectroscopy and aperture IR-SNOM. Analyst 146, 4895 (2021). doi 10.1039/d1an00922b B.J. Ellis, C.A.Whitley, A.Triantafyllou, P.J. Gunning, C.I. Smith, S.D. Barrett, P. Gardner, R.J. Shaw, P.Weightman and J.M. Risk. Prediction of malignant transformation in oral epithelial dysplasia using infrared absorbance spectra. PLOS ONE 17, e0266043 (2022). doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0266043 D.E. Halliwell, C.L.M. Morais, K.M.G. Lima, J. Trevisan, M.R.F. Siggel-King, T. Craig, J. Ingham, D.S. Martin, K.A. Heys, M. Kyrgiou, A. Mitra, E. Paraskevaidis, G. Theophilou, P.L. Martin-Hirsch, A. Cricenti, M. Luce, P. Weightman and F.L. Martin. Imaging cervical cytology with scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) coupled with an IR-FEL. Sci Rep 6, 29494 (2016). doi 10.1038/srep29494 J. Inghama, S.D. Barrett and P.Weightman.A method of selecting discriminating wavelengths of radiation for use in absorption spectroscopy. WIPO International Publication Number: WO 2019/197806 A1 Filed 5/4/19. Granted (EU, US, Japan).

J. Inghamb, M.J. Pilling, D.S. Martin, C.I. Smith, B.G. Ellis, C.A. Whitley, M.R.F. Siggel-King, P. Harrison, T. Craig, A. Varro, D.M. Pritchard, A. Varga, P. Gardner, P. Weightman and S.D. Barrett. A novel FTIR analysis method for rapid high-confidence discrimination of esophageal cancer. Infrared Physics & Technology 102, 103007 (2019). doi 10.1016/j.infrared.2019.103007 J. Inghamc, C.I. Smith, B.G. Ellis, C.A. Whitley, A. Triantafyllou, P.J. Gunning, S.D. Barrett, P. Gardener, R.J. Shaw, J.M. Risk and P. Weightman. Prediction of malignant transformation in oral epithelial dysplasia using machine learning. IOP SciNotes 3, 034001 (2022). doi 10.1088/2633-1357/ac95e2 A.D. Smith, M.R.F. Siggel-King, G.M. Holder,A. Cricenti, M. Luce, P. Harrison, D.S. Martin, M. Surman, T. Craig, S.D. Barrett, A. Wolski, D.J. Dunning, N.R. Thompson, Y. Saveliev, D.M. Pritchard, A. Varro, S. Chattopadhyay and P.Weightman. Near-field optical microscopy with an infra-red free electron laser applied to cancer diagnosis. App Phys Lett 102, 053701 (2013). doi 10.1063/1.4790436

Professor Vijay Sharma Professor Sharma is currently the Clinical Director of Cellular Pathology and a Consultant Histopathologist with a specialist interest in Breast Pathology in Liverpool, and is also a member of the Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine and the School of Medicine in the University of Liverpool. His research interests are in the role of energy metabolism in disease, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, in the development of new biotechnologies for predicting tumour progression and therapy responses, and also in the implementation and development of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Pathology. He is a recognised expert in Biobanking and one of the UK’s leading authorities on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Histopathology.

Dr James Ingham James Ingham is interested in the application of advanced imaging technologies, particularly infrared spectroscopy, and their integration with analytical methods and novel AI approaches to address major challenges in biology and medicine.

7

Dr Steve Barrett As a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physics, Dr. Barrett’s research interests span all aspects of imaging, image processing and image analysis. This includes medical imaging (biophysics), scanning probe microscopy of atoms and molecules (nanophysics), microscopy of earth materials (geophysics) and astrophotography.

Dr Caroline Smith Dr Caroline Smith is a physical chemist with an interest in spectroscopy of molecules at interfaces and in developing instrumentation. She has many years’ experience of research studying cancer with infrared spectroscopy.

Dr Janet Risk Dr. Janet Risk is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine and is a member of the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre. Dr. Risk investigates the molecular biology of aerodigestive tract cancer and has previously

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

published on the role of tumour suppressor gene methylation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the role of tumour associated fibroblasts in the aggressiveness of HPV negative oral squamous cell carcinomas. She is a key member of the team investigating the utility of infrared imaging for the early diagnosis of oral cancer.

Professor Richard Shaw Richard Shaw is an academic head and neck cancer surgeon with translational interests in premalignancy, early diagnosis and prevention. He is chief investigator on several clinical trials and has held senior roles in the NIHR clinical research network and the International Academy of Oral Oncology.

Professor Peter Weightman Peter Weightman has a history of developing scientific instruments and has been fortunate in collaborating with colleagues in a variety of fields.

These collaborative activities have resulted in a number of awards including the Mott Medal of the UK Institute of Physics (2006) and a co-recipient of the UK Institute of Physics Rosalind Franklin Medal (2020) through his membership of the Steering Committee of the UKRI “The Physics of Life Network”

Calendar We are very pleased to continue offering a range of ‘in-person’ and virtual events this year, in order to maximise accessibility and provide opportunities to those who might not otherwise be able to attend.

The following information was correct at the of publication but could potentially be subject to change in the coming weeks. Please visit our event calendar at www.rms.org.uk for the latest updates.

If you have any questions about a booking you have already made for an event, or need any help or advice, please contact us at info@rms.org.uk

2025 December

March

16 -18 All Things Cryo Course 2026, Nottingham, UK

4-5

Virtual European Flow Core Meeting 2025,Online, Free event

5

Super-resolution in the North 2025, Sheffield, UK

21-24 Dynamic Cell VI (RMS sponsored event), Reading, UK

8

SEMT, London, UK (RMS attending meeting)

May

2026 January 6-7

Flow Cytometry Facilities Meeting 2026, Liverpool, UK

7

Flora in Focus: A Microscopy Conference for Plant Scientists (RMS attending), Oxford, UK

8-9

UKLMF 2026 (Light Microscopy Facilities Meeting), Newcastle, UK

February

April

18 -20 Microscopy of Oxidation 12, Loughborough, UK

June

7-12 Signaling by Adhesion Receptors GRC 2026, (RMS sponsored event), New Hampshire, USA 23 -25 AFM & SPM 2026, Leeds, UK

August / September 31 August - 3 September IMC21, Liverpool, UK

12-13 EM-UKI 2026, Dublin, Ireland For further information on all these events, please visit our Event Calendar at www.rms.org.uk

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Featured RMS events Flow Cytometry Facilities Meeting 2026 6 – 7 January, Liverpool, UK Scientific organiser: Christopher Law, University of Liverpool This year’s annual Flow Cytometry Facilities meeting is being held in-person on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 January 2026 in Liverpool, starting at lunchtime on 6 January, and finishing at lunchtime on 7 January. The meeting is aimed at UKLMF 2026 (Light Microscopy Facilities Meeting) 8 – 9 January, Newcastle, UK Scientific organisers: Alex Laude & Glyn Nelson, University of Newcastle The RMS would like to announce that the upcoming UK Light Microscopy Facility Meeting 2026 will be taking place in Newcastle Upon Tyne, starting at lunch time on Thursday, 8 January and finishing at lunch time on Friday, 9 January. The event is being hosted by scientific organisers Glyn Nelson & Alex Laude.

This event provides an excellent opportunity to network with fellow facility staff as well as representatives from major commercial suppliers of microscopy hardware, software and reagents. The focus of this year’s meeting

all those that run or work in a Flow cytometry core facility and seeks to highlight and address common issues within the community. This year we will focus on label-free cytometry, scientific apprenticeship, core management and funding updates. Sessions will be a panel format to present views, followed by an interactive discussion around the points raised at the end of each session. We will also include presentations from current core facilities (Crib talks) and from our industry colleagues (Techno Bites). will be ‘quality and data management within imaging facilities’. We’ll hear from newly established facilities as well as those that want to share recent developments and operational best practice. There’ll be a spotlight on career pathways for imaging scientists at all stages, including mentoring schemes and opportunities across sectors. And, as always, expect updates from funders and UK Bioimaging on initiatives shaping the future of light microscopy.

Registration to this event includes full access to the meeting as well as lunches and the conference dinner. Please note: the dinner venue can accommodate a maximum of 140 attendees.

Places will be allocated on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Registration closes on Friday, 12 December.

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Featured RMS events EM-UKI 2026 12 – 13 February, Dublin, Ireland Scientific organisers: Kerry Thompson, University of Galway; Lewys Jones, Trinity College Dublin The EM-UKI community meetings are an open forum for discussion of the latest developments and challenges in the field, suitable for both academic and commercial microscopists. The meeting will include techno bites, talks, and discussions, and also hosts the annual RMS EM lecture.

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This year’s programme will include the following sessions: •

RMS EM Lecture

•

Updates from the EM Community

•

Funding

•

Careers & Outreach

•

Interactive Methodology

For further information on all these events, please visit our Event Calendar at www.rms.org.uk

R E P O RT Annual Meeting of the Chilean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 6 - 9 October 2025 La Serena, Chile

T

his conference represented a very exciting opportunity for me to learn more about the science happening in Chile, which does not reach the UK very frequently. It was fascinating and unique to hear about research aiming to translate the traditional medicine used by the Mapuche people into modern medicine. I also enjoyed speaking to the BeBug startup, which genetically modifies black flies to produce therapeutic nanobodies. These black flies consume organic waste and their larvae are used to feed livestock, thereby reducing livestock deaths from common infectious diseases without needing additional medications. I also enjoyed the talk from Christian Wilson about important considerations that are often overlooked to ensure experiments are performed in (quasi-)equilibrium. I learned about elegant tricks to examine your protein of interest in different oligomeric states by taking advantages of the thermodynamics. vivo”. I discussed how I use Mass Photometry to quantify protein aggregation in Parkinson’s. There was lots of interest in the methodology, which as of a few months ago has become available in Chile.

The questions from the audience gave me a new perspective about how my work fits in the broader literature and I will incorporate this in the writing up of this project. Specifically, the relationship between

The speakers and organiser of the session on “The importance of Protein Quality Control (PQC) in vitro and in vivo”. From left to right, myself, Andre Matagne (University of Liege), Cecillia d’Alessio (University of Buenos Aires), Christian Wilson (University of Chile), Maximiliano Figueroa (University of Concepción).

There were over 100 posters covering the breadth of biochemistry and molecular biology and during the poster sessions, I was frequently intrigued

changes in lipid localisation and abundance, protein aggregation, and disease onset is something that I will investigate further. Besides the science, the conference was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with collaborators and hear about the experiences from Chilean scientists, which has taught me that sometimes scarcity can fuel ingenuity.

by the supposed selective advantage of complex

After the conference, I presented another project

enzymes. Why would an enzyme that is functional

revolving around molecular mechanisms for DNA

as a monomer assemble into a homo-24-mer, and

damage repair at a symposium at the University of

why would there exist a bifunctional enzyme that

Chile in Santiago. I enjoyed sharing my research with

catalyzes two non-consecutive steps in a metabolic

an audience of mostly students.

pathway? For me, it is this sort of questioning that

I am grateful to the RMS for their financial support

make science an exciting pursuit.

to attend this conference and workshop.

On the final day, I gave my talk “Direct observation of

alpha-synuclein

oligomerisation

on

lipid

membranes” during the session “The importance of Protein Quality Control (PQC) in vitro and in

Raman van Wee PhD student in the Departments of Chemistry and Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford.

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RMS guidance included in new biology booklet for secondary schools The RMS is delighted to have contributed to a

online, features a host of contributions from

practical biology booklet which has been distributed

other leading institutions shaping the future of

to 4,500 secondary schools across the UK.

biology – including the Linnean Society of London

The Practical Biologist booklet, produced by Darwin Biological, includes a section on ‘understanding magnification’, with guidance on how to measure objects viewed under the microscope. It also includes details of RMS Outreach and Education activities and resources.

The booklet, which is also freely available to view

and Royal Entomological Society. The text for the ‘microscopy’ section was provided by RMS Outreach and Education Committee member James Perkins, who is head of science at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Faversham. James coordinates the award-winning Hitachi STEM project, which enables secondary school students to carry out science projects using table-top scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) – free of charge.

He has also created a microscopy resource for schools, providing guidance

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

for teaching and learning, which is now available on

of Shrewsbury, the birth place of its namesake,

the RMS website.

supplying quality products to secondary schools,

James said: “The Practical Biologist is a fantastic

colleges and universities across the UK.

booklet which is going to be another great resource

“We believe that biology should be exciting,

for schools. We were delighted to be approached

by Darwin Biological to make a contribution, and I would urge my fellow science teachers to take a look! There are some great practical ideas and

accessible, and sustainable,” said the firm’s founder Meg Bilson. “By working with great British partners, we can utilise their expertise and showcase the

experiments in there for all stages of secondary

amazing free resources they have to offer schools.”

school – with clear and simple advice for teaching

To explore the booklet online, visit www.

staff.”

darwinbiological.co.uk

Darwin Biological is a British firm based just outside

darwinbiological.co.uk to request a printed copy.

or

email

hello@

Submit to infocus infocus welcomes submissions of articles of general interest to microscopists.

You provide the text and images and we take care of the rest. It’s the ideal way to share your work with the microscopical community.

Full submission information and guidelines are available at www.infocus.org.uk.

To submit an idea or if you have any questions about the process please email the Editor (editor@infocus.org.uk)

15

Alexis Gkantiragas

Personally, I like recording videos of interesting or unusual things under the microscope to send to friends and family, or to include in publications. The tools to do this are inexpensive. I use smartphone scope adapters that typically cost around £15 and attach to the microscope eyepiece. They also have the added benefit of saving the strain on your eyes.

Recently, I have been using this method while screening bumblebees for parasites, and I got several videos of bumblebee parasites in motion.

I detected many samples infected with Crithidia bombi (a eukaryotic parasite with a complex life cycle and a flagellated stage). I also found a single bumblebee queen whose faeces were crawling with Sphaerularia bombi, a parasitic nematode worm that alters the queen’s behaviour, causing them to go and infect mating sites with the worm’s young that pass through the faeces.

For those of us who may spend hours a day staring down a microscope, it might not occur to us that the images we share are interesting or even beautiful. Indeed, initially, I only put my parasite videos on YouTube as a backup for talks. This way, if the video failed to play, I could simply follow the

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Figure 1. Sphaerularia bombi in the faeces of a bumblebee queen.

Image courtesy of Firmbee and Pixabay

Why I upload my microscopy videos to YouTube

link and have a backup version of the video to show.

While I could have chosen to make it unlisted or private, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to make the results public. There are relatively few examples of what bumblebee parasites actually look like in video form, so I thought it might be a helpful resource for somebody at some point. I was surprised to find these videos received over 1000 views.

While these aren’t by any means big numbers for YouTube, and they will not produce any money, they represent a great amount of engagement and exposure for a piece of science communication that I would have produced anyway, and that took me maybe 2 minutes per video to upload. It is also not wildly dissimilar to the kind of engagement established organisations like the British Ecological Society (or indeed the RMS!) get on the platform.

Since then, I have uploaded all the interesting microscopy and videos of pollinators, and I am currently on over 20,000 views.

While this might not be reproducible for all microscopists, I think that there is a lot of potential for short-form, very low-effort video content for a wide range of microscopists. Even static videos, such

Figure 2. Heavy Crithidia bombi infection in bee gut contents. Black balls are the early life stages while elongated lighter ones are flagellated and can be seen moving under the microscope.

Opening that up to a wider audience may not convey as much information as an article or talk, but it might get people curious about the natural world, and it’s a form of science communication you might actually have time to do!

as screening pollen under the microscope, were

Discover more at Alexis' YouTube

highly viewed, meaning that you don’t necessarily

Channel

need to be studying moving samples. Time lapses of cancer cell migration, videos of dissections, timelines of embryonic development, organelle imaging, all of these could be great short-form videos.

But what’s in it for you? Well, firstly, it is obviously good exposure both for yourself and, if your videos are connected to your recent research, it will help boost metrics like reads and the paper’s altimetric score. Moreover, grant applications increasingly ask how you will communicate your results to the wider public. I recently successfully submitted a small research grant, and this provided a solid, quantifiable example of my science communication track record, which required minimal effort.

About the Author Alexis is a PhD student at Royal Holloway University of London studying how bumblebee parasites spread and are distributed across landscapes. the

Over

last

decade,

Alexis has worked in an eclectic mix of research settings, from

studying

bumblebees,

to

ageing in fruit flies to varicose veins.

As microscopists, we are immersed in a world that few get to really see, but that can be beautiful.

17

2025 RMS Annual Highlights With the year 2025 drawing to a close, here’s a quick look back at some of the RMS highlights over the last 12 months…

Events

This year the Society hosted more than 30 events in total, including 14 virtual meetings which have helped us reach a diverse, global audience. Our events this year attracted more than 3,150 registrations in total, including

85 for in-person courses and workshops, 39 for virtual training events, and 760 for other virtual

events.

We hosted or assisted with a number of new events, including Navigating Strategies for Core Facilities 2025: A Town Hall Webinar (a highly successful

online event with nearly 400 registrations) and Workshop on the Applications of 4D-STEM. The Society supported a number of external events as an exhibitor, sponsor, or invited speaker. These included South West Electron Microscopy 2025 (SW-EM); GW4 Networking Day; MidsEM 2025; Cryo Microscopy Group Meeting 2025 and the Scottish Microscopy Society Symposium 2025

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

mmc2025 This year’s stand-out event was, of course, Microscience

Microscopy

Congress

2025

(mmc2025), which took place at Manchester Central, UK, in early July. More than 1,100

took part this year, from 36 countries across six continents.

attendees

It meant this was the second biggest mmc the Society has staged, following the record attendance achieved in 2023 when we returned ‘in-person’, post-covid.

The Congress featured a superb range of scientific content with 417 abstract submissions, 236

posters and 67 invited speakers.

It also boasted a world-class trade exhibition with more than 90 exhibitors and 67 commercial workshops.

19

Journal of Microscopy Another great year for the Journal of Microscopy is coming to a close, with 99 papers (including

56 Open Access papers) already published online during 2025 (as at 1/11/2025) – a 5% increase on the same period last year (94). The number of new submissions to the Journal has also increased with 353 so far in 2025 compared with 315 by 1 November 2024.

We were very pleased to publish four special issues: Botanical Microscopy,

Microscopy Techniques, a Festschrift to honour the career of Professor Paul Walther and Ptychography.

More are in the pipeline for 2026!

There were some notable departures on the Editorial

Professor

Board, with

Carolyn

Larabell (University of California, San Francisco, USA)

and

Professor

Mark

Rainforth

(University of Sheffield, UK) retiring as Scientific Editors during the summer. We thank them both for their many years of service!

Meanwhile

we

four

welcomed

new

Scientific Editors in 2025: Professor Rik Drummond-Brydson (University of Leeds), Professor Dylan Owen (University

of

Thomas

Walther

Sheffield),

and

Weinhardt

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Dr

(University

of

Professor (Karlsruhe

Technology, Germany).

20

UK),

Birmingham,

Venera

Institute

of

Microscope Activity Kits 2025 was another great year for the RMS

At any one time, the RMS has 35

kits in

Microscopy Activity Kits (MAKs) which are loaned

circulation and a further five for STEM/Learning

out (free) to primary schools, providing children

Hubs and non-formal education (NFE) programmes

with their first experience of microscopy.

(e.g Scouts, Guides etc). A number of spare kits are

Exactly 100

also made available for other Outreach projects

schools benefitted from the scheme this year, reaching a total of 18,775 students.

(e.g. science fairs).

Summer Studentships, job shadowing, mentoring and RMS Diploma This year we were delighted to award the maximum six Summer Studentship Awards to undergraduates who applied to undertake microscopy-themed projects over the summer.

Each student received £2,000 to help subsidise accommodation and laboratory costs, and their reports are due to be published in our March issue of infocus Meanwhile, for RMS members already in employment, we continue to offer the RMS Diploma - a unique, portfolio-based qualification to hold.We currently have 10 candidates undertaking the diploma, from countries including Croatia and New Zealand.

Our Application Coaching and Personal Mentoring Scheme has been a great success with 13 mentoring matches for 2025. This initiative is designed to support career development and the unique roles specific to microscopy, imaging and flow cytometry.

A further 13 job shadowing placements were arranged this year, as part of our Technical Specialist Job Shadowing Program giving scientists on an academic or technical career track the chance to visit a UK imaging or flow core facility for up to a week.

21

Technician Commitment It was an award-winning end to 2025, with the

Project Officer Georgina Fletcher collected the

RMS and BioImagingUK receiving the Technician

award from Helen Pain MBE, and met with Dr Kelly

Commitment ‘Award of Impact’.

Vere MBE, Director of the Technician Commitment

The award recognises the organisations’ joint efforts to support technical roles in microscopy and imaging through the delivery of an Action Plan.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

(image above right), at a special event in London on Tuesday, 18 November.

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Journal of

Microscopy The Journal of Microscopy publishes top quality research articles, review articles and Hot Topic papers covering all aspects of microscopy and analysis. This includes cutting-edge technology and innovative applications in physics, chemistry, material and biological sciences.

You can read the latest Early View papers online at www.journalofmicroscopy.org They include:

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cassini ovals for robust mitosis detection in cellular imaging Reza Yazdi, Hassan Khotanlou Accurate detection of mitosis is crucial in automated cell analysis, yet many existing methods depend heavily on deep learning models or complex detection techniques, which can be computationally intensive and error-prone, particularly when segmentation is incomplete.This study presents a novel unsupervised method for mitosis detection, leveraging the geometric properties of the Cassini oval to reduce computational costs and enhance robustness. Our approach integrates a newly developed deep learning model, MaxSigNet, for initial cell segmentation. We subsequently employ the Cassini oval in its single-ring mode to detect mother cells in the initial frame and switch to double-ring mode in subsequent frames to identify daughter cells and confirm mitosis events.

The success of this method hinges on the presence of equal non-zero foci values in the mother cell and distinct non-zero foci values in the daughter cells, which indicate accurate mitosis detection. The method was evaluated across six datasets from four different cell lines, achieving perfect F1, Recall and Precision scores on four datasets, with scores of 96% and 85% on the remaining two. Comparative analysis demonstrated that our method outperformed similar approaches in F1 and Recall metrics. Additionally, the method showed substantial robustness to incomplete

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

segmentation, with only a 20% average drop in F1 scores when tested with older segmentation methods like K-means, Felzenszwalb and Watershed. The proposed method offers a significant advancement in mitosis detection by leveraging the Cassini oval’s properties, providing a reliable and efficient solution for automated cell analysis systems. This approach promises to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of cellular behaviour studies, with potential applications in various biomedical research fields.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Open access

Depth of field of multi-slice electron ptychography: Investigating energy and convergence angle Frederick Allars, Andrew Maiden, Darren J. Batey, Christopher S. Allen Multi-slice electron ptychography has attracted significant interest in recent years, thanks to notable experimental successes in ultra-high resolution, depth-resolved imaging of atomic structure. However, the theoretical dependence of depth of field on experimental parameters is not well understood.In this paper we use simulated data to compare the depth of field of through focal annular-dark field and multi-slice electron ptychography over a range of acceleration voltages and convergence angles. We show that at both low convergence angle and at low electron

of extracellular polymeric substance matrix in the absence of contrast agents and dyes and without inducing radiative damage. energy, multi-slice ptychography has significantly improved depth of field over through focal ADF imaging.

METHODS AND PROTOCOLS Open access

Surface visualisation of bacterial biofilms using neutral atom microscopy Nick A. von Jeinsen, David J. Ward, Matthew Bergin, Sam M. Lambrick, David M. Williamson, Richard M Langford, Lisa F. Dawson, Vibhuti Rana, Sushma Shivaswamy, Xuening Zhou, Michelle Mikesh, Vernita D. Gordon, Brendan W. Wren, Katherine A. Brown, Paul C. Dastoor Neutral atom microscopy (NAM) is a new field that uses beams of neutral atoms to image surfaces.

The first NAM instrument, the Scanning Helium Microscope (SHeM), uses a particle beam of neutral helium atoms to form the image, rather than photons (light) or electrons. By exploiting the large scattering cross-section of helium to atomic scale surface features, coupled with its neutral/inert nature and extremely low energy (∼60 meV), the SHeM is a uniquely sensitive imaging technology capable of visualising surfaces entirely non-destructively. The SHeM enables the study of materials (and their applications) whose visualisation is constrained, whether by intrinsic insensitivity, the requirement for surface treatments/coatings, or by surface damage altering the material under investigation.

Here we present the SHeM imaging of bacterial biofilms, highlighting its sensitivity to the surface

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Open Access

A fluorescence lifetime separation approach for FLIM live-cell imaging Cornelia Wetzker, Marcelo Leomil Zoccoler, Svetlana Iarovenko, Chukwuebuka William Okafornta, Anja Nobst, Hella Hartmann, Thomas MüllerReichert, Robert Haase, Gunar Fabig Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) translates the duration of excited states of fluorophores into lifetime information as an additional source of contrast in images of biological samples.

This offers the possibility to separate fluorophores particularly beneficial in case of similar excitation spectra. Here, we demonstrate the distinction of fluorescent molecules based on FLIM phasor analysis, called lifetime separation, in live-cell imaging using open-source software for analysis.We showcase two applications using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. First, we separated the highly spectrally overlapping fluorophores mCherry and mKate2 to distinctively track tagged proteins in six-dimensional datasets to investigate cell division in the developing early embryo. Second, we separated fluorescence of tagged proteins of interest from masking natural autofluorescence in adult hermaphrodites. For FLIM data handling and workflow implementation, we developed the open-source plugin napari-flimphasor-plotter to implement conversion, visualisation, analysis and reuse of FLIM data of different formats.

Our work thus advances technical applications and bioimage data management and analysis in FLIM microscopy for life science research.

25

local strain, doping, exciton behaviour, and dielectric inhomogeneities in low-dimensional materials.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Open Access

Microstructural characterisation of polycrystalline ice with an etch-pitting replication method

Correlation of near-field optical microscopy and tipassisted photoluminescence

Hatsuki Yamauchi, Lucy Davidson, Christine McCarthy, David J. Prior, Jacob A. Tielke, Benjamin K. Holtzman

W. Pfeiffer, N. S. Mueller, R. Hillenbrand, I. Niehues, P. Kusch Nanoscale optical imaging has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for exploring the structural, electronic, and optical properties of low-dimensional materials with spatial resolutions far beyond the diffraction limit. Techniques such as tip-enhanced, and tip-assisted photoluminescence (TEPL and TAPL), as well as scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) offer unique insights into local strain distributions, exciton dynamics, and dielectric heterogeneities that are inaccessible through conventional far-field approaches, however their combination within the same setup remains challenging. Here we present the realisation of correlative TEPL/TAPL and s-SNOM measurements within a single side-illuminated near-field optical microscope. We address the key experimental challenges inherent to the sideillumination geometry, including precise laser focus alignment, suppression of far-field background signals, and the mitigation of competing scattering pathways.

Utilising monolayer WSe2 as a model system, we demonstrate correlative imaging of material topography, strain-induced photoluminescence shifts, and dielectric function variations. We visualise nanoscale heterogeneities on a bubble-like structure, highlighting the complementary information from TAPL and s-SNOM.This correlative approach bridges the gap between nanoscale optical spectroscopy and near-field imaging, offering a powerful tool for probing

26

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Etch-pitting replication is a classical method to characterise the microstructure of ice crystals. In this method, a solution of polyvinyl formal (Formvar) is applied to a polished surface of ice. A plastic film, created after the solvent is dried, ‘replicates’ microstructural features of the ice. By examining the replica film, we can identify the orientation of crystals and existence of dislocations in ice. However, with the recent rise of advanced techniques such as cryoEBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) analyses, this classical method has been left in the shadows, especially from the perspective of quantification of microstructural features in polycrystalline ice. In this study we revive and thoroughly re-examine the utility of the replication method to quantify crystal orientations and dislocation density of ice.We applied our optimised protocols of the replication method to several laboratory-fabricated and natural-glacier polycrystalline ice samples with various types of crystal preferred orientation (CPO) and various levels of strain. Using high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the obtained replica films, we quantified the extent of CPO and dislocation density of these ice samples. Our results of CPO patterns and dislocation density show good agreement with cryo-EBSD results from the same ice samples or samples at a similar strain level. Although further improvements are needed to make the present method more efficient, our results show promise for using this method to easily, quickly, and affordably quantify microstructural features in

polycrystalline ice and to help interpret deformation mechanism of ice.

Submit to the Journal of Microscopy

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Substrate-related optical activity in monolayer and : A tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy study Rafael Nadas, Lucas Liberal, Gabriel Bargas, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Leonardo C. Campos, Ado Jorio Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising two-dimensional materials whose properties are strongly influenced by substrate interactions.While conventional Raman spectroscopy probes these effects, its diffraction-limited resolution often averages out local variations such as strain, masking intrinsic behaviours. Here, we employ tipenhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) to investigate the vibrational properties of monolayer and on top of glass and glass/hBN substrates. TERS offers nanometric spatial resolution, allowing direct correlation between Raman features and topographical inhomogeneities. Our results reveal that local variations in strain, doping, and dielectric screening that vary across the substrate interface are often accompanied by nanoscale structural features such as wrinkles, which locally modulate the vibrational response.

1.

No submissions fees

2.

No page or colour charges

3.

No page limit

4.

Simple online submission

5.

Helpful, friendly editorial team

6.

Average time from submission to first decision is less than 50 days

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High readership figures

8.

Online tracking system – authors can easily check the status of an article in production and receive emails at key stages

9.

Rapid publication with Early View papers published online in advance of print, significantly shortening time from acceptance to publication

10. Free electronic offprints

Journal of Microscopy App Available for iPhone and Android

Search for Journal of Microscopy on the App Store or Google play and access your personal or institutional subscription wherever you are, whenever you want.

Submit online at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jmi View the Guidelines for Authors and full submission details online at:

www.journalofmicroscopy.org 27

Journal of

Microscopy News RMS Data Analysis in Imaging (DAIM) Section launches new Special Issue

found on the Journal website.

The Data Analysis in Imaging (DAIM) RMS science section and international collaborators are launching a special issue of the Journal of Microscopy, with the topic: “High-Performance Computing and Cloudbased solutions for image analysis in life and physical sciences”.

New Journal of Microscopy special issue: Ptychography

The DAIM special issue can include invited manuscripts, original research articles, reviews, and methods & protocols.

The issue was guest edited by Andrew Maiden (University of Sheffield), Laura Clark (University of York), and Peter O’Toole (University of York).

The deadline for manuscript submission will be 28 February 2026.

Guest Editors: Rocco D’Antuono (The Francis Crick Institute DAIM RMS, UK) Nicholas Condon (University of Queensland, Australia) Beth Cimini (Broad Institute, US) Papers should be submitted through the Research Exchange platform. Please choose the paper type ‘Themed Issue’ and indicate in the cover letter that the paper is part of the “Data Analysis in Imaging” special issue 2026.

Author guidelines can be

28

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

If you have any questions, then please contact the Journal Editorial Office Manager, Jill Hobbs (journaladmin@rms.org.uk).

The Journal of Microscopy is pleased to announce the publication of a special issue featuring papers which focus on Ptychography.

In the introduction to the special issue, the guest editors said: “Ptychography is a tremendously versatile imaging technique, having been implemented at radiation wavelengths from the picometre to the micron, and the rest of this Special Issue highlights its versatility with articles from both extremes of the spectrum.

“The introductory article – by one of the forefathers of this diffractive imaging technique, Prof. John Rodenburg FRS – provides both an excellent historical context and a primer to the field.

“We hope the articles in this Special Issue provide a sense of the progress being made across the spectrum and of the still-toexplore potential of ptychography over all wavelengths.”

The issue features the following papers:

Introduction to the Special Issue on ptychography Andrew Maiden, Laura Clark, Peter O’Toole

Ptychography: A brief introduction John Rodenburg

Detecting charge transfer at defects in 2D materials with electron ptychography Christoph Hofer, Jacob Madsen, Toma Susi, Timothy J. Pennycook

Defocus correction and noise reduction using a hybrid ptychography and Centre-ofMass algorithm

Zhiyuan Ding, Chen Huang, Adrián Pedrazo-Tardajos, Angus I Kirkland, Peter D Nellist

Accelerating iterative ptychography with an integrated neural network

Arthur R. C. McCray, Stephanie M. Ribet, Georgios Varnavides, Colin Ophus

Depth of field of multi-slice electron ptychography: Investigating energy and convergence angle Frederick Allars, Andrew Maiden, Darren J. Batey, Christopher S. Allen

Quantifying phase magnitudes of open-source focused-probe 4D-STEM ptychography reconstructions

Stability of electron ptychography at low electron dose M. Dearg, N. Michaelides, J. Gilbert, Z. Ding, Z. Aslam, D. G. Hopkinson, C. S. Allen, L. Clark

Ptychographic analysis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell morphology: The impact of cell senescence

Lorenzo Anconelli, Giovanna Farruggia, Isabella Zafferri, Francesca Borsetti, Stefano Iotti, Francesca Rossi, Jeanette A. Maier

Quantitative analysis of human umbilical vein endothelial cell morphology and tubulogenesis Viviane Mignone, Maria Augusta Arruda, Laura Kilpatrick, Benjamin Moore, Jeanette Woolard, Stephen Hill, Joëlle Goulding

CellPhePy: A python implementation of the CellPhe toolkit for automated cell phenotyping from microscopy time-lapse videos

Laura Wiggins, Stuart Lacy, Graeme Park, Joanne Marrison, Ben Powell, Beth Cimini, Peter O’Toole, Julie Wilson, William J. Brackenbury

Fourier ptychography microscopy for digital pathology Fraser Eadie, Laura Copeland, Giuseppe Di Caprio, Gail McConnell, Akhil Kallepalli

Toma Susi

29

New Journal of Microscopy Editors

We are pleased to welcome two new Scientific Editors to the Journal of Microscopy!

P

rofessor Rik Drummond-Brydson (University of Leeds, UK) and Dr Thomas Walther (University of Sheffield, UK) have recently joined the Journal as Scientific Editors. They both bring expertise in materials science and they have been active members of the Journal of Microscopy Editorial Board.

Professor Rik Drummond-Brydson is Chair in Nanostructural Materials Characterisation in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering and the Bragg Centre for Materials Research at the University of Leeds with over 35 years’ research experience in the analytical science of materials. He is Vice President of the Royal Microscopical Society and a former member of the European Microscopy Management Board (2004-2016).

His research interests have focused on applying high spatial resolution characterisation methods (particularly TEM and EELS) to the nanochemical analysis of softer, more radiation sensitive materials.

30

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Dr Thomas Walther is a Reader in Advanced Electron Microscopy at the University of Sheffield. He received an undergraduate degree in physics from RWTH Aachen in 1993 and PhD in materials science from the University of Cambridge in 1996/97.

Dr Walther was a postdoc at CEA Grenoble, Université d’Aix-Marseille (both in France) and University of Bonn (Germany) where he later became assistant professor in the chemistry department. After a short spell at a new research centre where he set up an electron microscopy lab in the same city, he joined the University of Sheffield as Senior Lecturer in 2006 and was promoted to a readership in 2010. His research focuses on electron microscopy as a fundamental tool to measure chemical changes at the interfaces between different materials with atomic resolution.

The 21st International Microscopy Congress (IMC21) 2026 31 August - 4 September 2026, ACC Liverpool, UK Pre-Congress Events 30 August 2026

'The Next Generation – Embracing the Responsible AI Revolution'

Abstract submission is open Submit your abstracts for talks and posters at the 21st International Microscopy Congress (IMC21) 2026. Join our impressive line-up of speakers covering all the latest techniques and applications in microscopy.

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2025 RMS Awardwinners revealed!

The RMS is very pleased to announce the winners of its latest awards, recognising scientific achievement, contributions to education and outreach, technical support and services to the Society.

The Society offers a wide range of award opportunities each year, inviting applications from across the globe to ensure those making a real difference within the microscopy community receive the recognition they deserve.

RMS President Peter O’Toole said: “It is a great pleasure to announce our latest award-winners and give formal recognition to the work of some of our leaders in microscopy. Our 2025 winners have all made superb contributions in their fields, and their achievements will be well known to many within the microscopy community.

My warmest congratulations go to them all.”

This year’s winners are as follows:

Chris Hawes Award for Outreach and Education

Spurred on by this success, she continued to reach out using microscopy as a means of providing

Celebrating a substantial contribution to the field of education, or to outreach and public engagement, over the course of someone’s career.

Professor Kang Nee Ting School of Pharmacy and Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham campus in Malaysia (UNM) Kang Nee is the Head of School at UNM for the School of Pharmacy and Division of Biomedical Sciences. In 2017 she applied for some funding from the University of Nottingham to undertake outreach work from the University of Nottingham campus in Malaysia (UNM). The RMS donated a microscope activity kit in support of this ambition.

Initially Professor Ting hosted successful school visits to UNM and following this, expanded the reach to local schools and education centres (for refugee students) in Greater Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Kang Nee Ting.

education and opportunities to underserved communities in Malaysia far from the University campus, local to the indigenous people and to refugees. During one project, participants had the opportunity to have eye tests and glasses provided before undertaking the science activities, thus helping their educational prospects. Examples of her work include science workshops in rural towns in Sarawak and Sabah (located in Borneo) andreceiving attention and funding from the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and, Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Sarawak . The work centres around reducing inequality in STEM education in Malaysia, and education on protecting the planet on land and in the oceans via microplastic work with microscopes.

Constadina Arvanitis.

In the last two years alone, she and her small team

Directors provide to the research community and

have brought science education via microscopy to

serves as a role model for young scientists with

more than 18 venues across Malaysia and reached

inclusive leadership philosophies and a global vision.

almost 2,000 children who would not usually have

Dina’s leadership has made CAM one of the

access to this kind of quality and compassionate

most versatile imaging centers in the USA, and

education.

and

NIC one of only nine Nikon Centers worldwide.

compassion in bringing science education through

Under her leadership, CAM has received multiple

microscopy embodies the spirit of the RMS and

institutional accolades as an Outstanding Facility.

the scope and magnitude of her success and impact

She has expanded the infrastructure of CAM with

with the kit is remarkable.

cutting-edge instrumentation which in recent years

Professor

Ting’s

dynamism

RMS Vice President’s Award

includes Nikon’s SoRa and N-SPARC technologies, and Abberior’s MINFLUX/STED MIRAVA. Dina has organised yearly training and career-shadowing

In recognition of the ‘unsung heroes’ of microscopy - the engineers, technicians or laboratory research support scientists, in any area of microscopy or flow cytometry.

programmes for trainees and faculty to foster

Dr Constadina Arvanitis

career paths for imaging scientists. She has co-led

Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA

collaboration and expertise.

On the international stage, Dina has been a strong advocate for the establishment and recognition of a ‘Leaders leading leaders’ programme through the Training and Education WG of Bioimaging North America. Dina has also secured international funding to lead teaching and education programmes

Dina is the Director of the Center for Advanced

worldwide. For her dedication to mentorship and

Microscopy (CAM) and the Nikon Imaging Center

teaching, she has received the Dean’s Teaching

(NIC) at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Dina

Award for the Driskill Graduate Program.

exemplifies the invaluable service that Core

33

RMS President’s Award

immediately to a lectureship at the Department of

In recognition of an exceptional voluntary contribution to the work of the Society, in any area of microscopy or flow cytometry.

Materials, University of Sheffield. He was appointed

Professor Mark Rainforth

Scientifically, Mark is a renowned metallurgist and

Emeritus Professor, School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK

Professor in 2000 and was Head of Department from 2011-2015.

microscopist. He is an international expert in the design of new resource efficient high strength metal alloys for applications in transport, energy,

Mark has a long and distinguished association with

biomedical engineering and tribology. He focuses on

the RMS, dedicating many years of service to the

the relationship between composition, processing,

organisation and its activities.

microstructure and properties of materials with

Mark is himself a former RMS President, serving

direct engineering applications.

from 2006-2009 during a time of significant change

Mark has published more than 400 papers in high

and staff movements within the Society.Throughout

impact journals. He is the winner of the 2024

his tenure he demonstrated great dedication and

Bessemer Gold Medal and winner of the IOM3

leadership – often travelling from his home base of Sheffield to Oxford to attend the office in person.

Rosenhain and Verulam Medals. He was elected Fellow Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2016.

RMS Scientific Achievement Awards Celebrating outstanding scientific achievements in any area of microscopy or flow cytometry for established, midcareer researchers.

Dr Periklis (Laki) Pantazis Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and Director of the Imperial College London and LEICA Microsystems Imaging Hub Dr Periklis (Laki) Pantazis is a pioneering microscopist at Imperial College London whose work has fundamentally reshaped how we visualise Mark Rainforth.

and interpret dynamic biological processes. His innovations, spanning

biology and translational imaging, have enabled

Journal of Microscopy since 2012, taking the lead

unprecedented insights into development, disease

on materials-oriented papers. He stepped down

progression and mechanobiology.

from this role earlier this year, having made many substantial and enthusiastic contributions to the publication which have helped ensure its long-term success.

Mark completed his PhD in 1990, being appointed

34

photophysics, molecular

Mark has also served as a Scientific Editor on the

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Laki’s signature inventions GenEPi (a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter of

mechanical

stimulation), primed conversion (a photon-efficient method for precise cell and lineage tracking), and bioharmonophores (biodegradable nanoparticles

in the development and application of cutting-edge single-molecule microscopy for biological discovery.

His work exemplifies the power of modern microscopy to illuminate fundamental processes in human health and disease, blending technical excellence with interdisciplinary innovation and translational impact.

Laki Pantazis.

for deep-tissue harmonic imaging) represent major advances in live-cell and deep-tissue imaging. As founding Director of the Imperial–Leica Imaging Hub, Laki established a multidisciplinary centre of excellence that facilitates collaborative research across biology, engineering and medicine. Under his leadership, the Hub has become a beacon of translational imaging science, supporting both earlycareer investigators and large-scale institutional initiatives.

He has secured over £7.1 million in research funding from prestigious agencies of various countries. He holds 13 patents, including co-developments with leading microscopy companies, demonstrating his ability to move ideas from concept to industrial application.

Laki’s trainees have gone on to receive significant honours, reflecting his dedication to mentorship and academic citizenship. He regularly serves on editorial boards, grant panels and international symposia, amplifying his influence on the field’s future direction.

Steven has consistently advanced the field of microscopy through the development of novel imaging platforms which have catalysed key biological insights. His co-first-authored work in Nature Immunology provided the first direct visualisation of ‘close contact’ zones in T cell signalling — evidence that resolved a 20-year-old immunological hypothesis and has since informed our understanding of autoimmunity and cancer immunotherapy.

A defining feature of Steven’s work is his collaborative ethos. In a landmark study in Nature, he co-validated single-cell Hi-C datasets through optical microscopy, enabling the first 3D structural maps of individual mammalian genomes. More recently, he has played a key leadership role in an $8M multi-institutional programme mapping Parkinson’s pathology with single-cell precision.

Steven is co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of ZOMP, a microscopy-based biotechnology spinout developing the world’s first high-throughput 3D imaging flow cytometer.

He has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, delivered more than 60 invited research seminars, and presented nine keynote and plenary talks at national and international symposia. His research, cited more than 4,500 times, has been recognised not only by peers but also by professional societies, funders, and commercial stakeholders.

As a scientist, mentor and collaborator, he represents the very best of the international imaging community.

Professor Steven Lee

Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Steven is a Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, is a world leading figure

Steven Lee.

35

New Member Welcome The Royal Microscopical Society would like to welcome our new members who have joined us in the last three months. We hope they enjoy a long and rewarding membership with the RMS. Mrs Aneta Luczak-Stecura Mr Diego Marquez Rumi

Dr Wenzhi Hong Mr Tian Olivier

If you know of anyone who might be interested in becoming a member of the Royal Microscopical Society and if you would like us to contact them, please send their details to our Membership Administrator, Debbie Hunt – debbie@rms.org.uk Application forms are available to download at www.rms.org.uk/membership Don't forget you can now log into the RMS website and check your membership status, renew and download receipts. If you have never logged into the RMS website, please enter the email address that is linked to your membership and then click 'forgotten password'.

If you have any queries or questions about your membership please contact Debbie Hunt debbie@rms.org.uk

Member Profiles Name Diego Marquez Rumi Tell Us About You? I successfully graduated as Advanced Expert in clinical diagnostics laboratory after 2 years degree in Spain, back in 2014. I did my internship at University of Valencia Microscopy core where I got the chance to get a strong foundation in light microscopy techniques including fluorescence and confocal microscopy.

Now microscopy is part of my daily routine in cytogenetics working for NHS Genomics.

I enjoy learning about microscopy clinical applications.

After attending the Manchester Congress in July 2025. It always been in my mind but my first time in such an amazing event finally got me in.

How do you feel being an RMS member benefits you?

Keeping updated about microscopy applications and relevant events and learning sources.

Creating a community of professionals that have a true passion for microscopy.

Fuels my determination and commitment as a professional.

Name Tian Olivier

Why did you become a member of the RMS?

I am a retired accountant with a long time interest in photography and nature. During Covid I built an extreme macro photography rig that evolved into a cross polarized light microscope with 4x,10x,20x, and 40x objectives. The home made microscope is used to take quality photomicrographs of crystals and other subjects that meet the standards of the Photographic Society of South Africa. I was honoured to have one of the photos selected as a finalist of the RMS MMC2025 competition.

I am a member of the Microscopy Society of Southern Africa and decided to join the RMS after the results of the RMS MMC2025 competition were announced. I want to learn more about microscopy and the preparation of subjects/ specimens to photograph.

Tell Us About You?

36

Why did you become a member of the RMS?

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

How do you feel being an RMS member benefits you?

Being a member will allow me access to publications and help me to build a network of service providers and knowledgeable people in the sector.

Name Sohan Jheeta Tell Us About You? I’m Founder and Chairman of the NoRCEL Institute and Editor-in-Chief of The 3E Magazine.

Since 2013, I’ve championed astrobiology and astroscience globally, with a focus on the Global South. Through initiatives like the Blue Earth Project and Astroscience Exploration Network, I connect scientists, educators, and students to advance understanding of life, ethics, and planetary sustainability—empowering the next generation to lead with responsibility and ethical stewardship of our planet.

Why did you become a member of the RMS? I became a member of the RMS because of my background in microbiology and my longstanding commitment to astroscience and origin-

Name Salli Boyeh Tell Us About You?

of-life research. RMS membership allows me to engage with cutting-edge imaging techniques, advance interdisciplinary science, and support global education and outreach through NoRCEL and The 3E Magazine. I will be seeking to engage in RMS outreach programme soon.

How do you feel being an RMS member benefits you?

Being an RMS member benefits me by keeping me connected to cutting-edge microscopy and imaging sciences, which support my work in astroscience and origin-of-life research. Regular engagement with the RMS magazine inspires ideas and broadens my perspective. I take pride in being a Fellow (FRMS) and though I want to contribute (but don't get the time), I learn from the global microscopical scientific community.

Hip, Hip Hooray!

a more interdisciplinary outlook, which enriches my academic studies and personal interests.

My name is Salli and I am a Politics and International relations student in London with a strong interest in how science and technology influence global society. I enjoy exploring ideas beyond my field, and in my free time I like crocheting, listening to music, and going on walks.

Why did you become a member of the RMS? I joined the RMS because I am fascinated by how science—especially tools like microscopy— expans our understanding of the world. Even though my academic path is in Politics and International Relations, I value opportunities to engage with scientific communities, learn from different perspectives, and see how discoveries connect to broader societal change.

How do you feel being an RMS member benefits you?

Being part of the RMS allows me to broaden my perspective beyond the social sciences, giving me insight into how scientific methods and discoveries shape the world we live in. It also helps me develop

37

Cross-Shaped Salt Crystal in Soy Sauce

By Cora Harris, Independent Researcher.

A beautifully shaped salt crystal in soy sauce solution. Home Science Tools Ultimate Home Microscope. CrossPolarised Filters. iPhone XR camera.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Kaleidoscope of Sugar Crystals Suspended in Solution

By Cora Harris, Independent Researcher.

Sucrose sugar crystals forming in solution.

Home Science Tools Ultimate Home Microscope. Cross-Polarised Filters. iPhone XR camera.

39

NEWS

From the RMS President Dear readers, Nothing ever seems to move slowly in the world of microscopy, and here we are approaching the end of another action-packed year.

In addition to reflecting on some of our recent activities and upcoming events in December, I’d like to take this opportunity to revisit the last 12 months as a whole at the RMS, and highlight a few of the Society’s achievements in 2025.

It was my great pleasure to be directly involved as a tutor on our recent Facility Management Training Course over a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days here in York. This is a really impactful course which brings together people at different career stages – from those experienced in running a core facility to those who are simply keen to learn more about the field. It’s a genuinely collaborative event and there is always something to learn for everyone – including the organisers. Our attendees were a privilege to work with and I look forward to seeing all their careers blossom.

I’ll also be helping to oversee our third annual Virtual European Flow Cytometry Facilities Meeting on 4-5 December – for which we already have more than 250 registrations.This is a great, free event for colleagues from across the continent – and further afield – to discuss best practices and get to grips with all the latest issues. I personally feel the establishment of this meeting as a regular fixture is a really significant achievement for the RMS, underlining its position as a truly international Society with a global reach.

Rewinding slightly, it was good to see the RMS taking part as an exhibitor, in support of two recent UK meetings in November. Firstly we joined our friends at the Scottish Microscopy Society for their annual Symposium in Aberdeen, and this was swiftly followed by a trip to Nottingham to take part in the Cryo Microscopy Group Meeting 2025. Throughout the year, our staff have been stepping up their presence at external events, seeking in-person conversations about the benefits of RMS membership and the work that we do. Like any member-based organisation, our future depends on maintaining a strong presence within our community, and communicating our offer effectively. In the end, nothing beats that face-to-face interaction!

Dr Peter O'Toole.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Throughout 2025, we’ve seen some fantastic and well attended events covering the whole spectrum of microscopy.

Our flagship publication, the Journal of Microscopy, continues to make great strides with the number of articles published online increasing by five per cent on the previous year, overseen by a dynamic editorial board with some new additions too! (see p30).

This year the Journal published four special issues – on Botanical Microscopy, Microscopy Techniques, a Festschrift for Professor Paul Walther, and most recently, an issue dedicated to Ptychography. I was honoured to feature as one of the guest editors for this latest issue, alongside Andy Maiden and Laura Clark – both of whom I have to credit with having done the bulk of the work in putting this together (many thanks!).

Throughout 2025, we’ve seen some fantastic and well attended events covering the whole spectrum of microscopy, imaging and flow cytometry across the sciences. As a whole, the RMS delivered more than 30 events with a total of more than 3,150 registered attendees. This included a host of courses and workshops that delivered training to 124 participants. It was also a year in which our flagship event, the Microscience Microscopy Congress (mmc2025), further enhanced its reputation as an essential fixture in the microscopy calendar, with a great turn-out, a superb scientific programme, and a world-class trade exhibition.

There is so much more I could highlight in terms of our activities, but too little space here, sadly. As such, I’d like to say a few words about the people at the heart of everything we do. Firstly, I’d like to pay tribute to our brilliant volunteers, who are so generous with their time and energy in serving the RMS. It’s a real privilege to sit on several of our Committees, and to see first-hand how the members are moving the Society forward with a raft of new ideas and initiatives for the benefit of the microscopy, imaging and flow cytometry communities in this swiftly evolving world. Many others also give up their time as helpers at events, as Ambassadors, or by supporting our outreach activities, and they are a huge asset to the Society.

Our Outreach and Education activities have continued apace, with our Microscope Activity Kits fully booked out to primary schools and other youth settings until Spring 2026. This scheme has been running since 2011 and is a real jewel in the RMS crown. Many of our members have also been busy undertaking outreach projects of their own, with RMS funding support. These projects are enabling children and adults of all ages and backgrounds to experience microscopy – often for the first time which is absolutely fantastic.

Our Summer Studentship scheme provided financial support for six undergraduate students to complete microscopy-based projects over the summer, and I look forward to reading their reports in our next issue of infocus! Meanwhile, for those already working in microscopy, we continue to offer the opportunity to study for an RMS Diploma - a great qualification to hold. As I write, we currently have 10 candidates in the process of completing their course.

I must also pay tribute to the RMS staff, who are always there behind the scenes – doing the heavy lifting and ensuring that the Society’s aims and ideas are smoothly translated into action and impact.

The RMS is special in that we have dedicated staff to support all our activities, which is unusual in the world of microscopy. It makes everything we do so much easier and shouldn’t be overlooked or underappreciated. My sincere thanks go to Sali Davis and her team at our Oxford offices.

And finally, I would like to give special thanks to all our members – wherever you are in the world.

Ultimately, this is your society, and your kind contributions, membership fees and volunteering makes all of this possible.

Here’s to 2026!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Peter O’Toole, RMS President

41

NEWS

UK Bioimaging User Access Fund launched for UK Researchers

Five-year initiative provides up to £5,000 per application for access to cutting-edge bioimaging facilities UK researchers now have unprecedented access

Oxford Brookes University’s Centre for Bioimaging,

to state-of-the-art bioimaging technologies through

several imaging centres at King’s College London,

a new fund announced by the UK Node of Euro-

and The Francis Crick Institute’s CALM facility.

BioImaging.

If the required technology is not available within the

The UK Bioimaging User Access Fund, supported

UK, the fund also supports access to more than 200

by £1.8 million in strategic funding from UKRI-

Euro-BioImaging facilities across Europe, ensuring

BBSRC and UKRI-MRC over five years, aims to

UK researchers can access exactly the expertise

democratise access to advanced imaging facilities

and equipment their projects demand.

across the country and beyond.

Beyond equipment access, successful applicants

The fund offers up to £5,000 at 100% Full Economic

receive

Cost (FEC) for bioimaging hardware access, or up

their projects, including initial consultation and

to £2,000 for image analysis services only. This

experimental planning, hands-on training, sample

investment covers all aspects of facility access,

preparation

including consumables, travel and accommodation

acquisition services.

expenses, and comprehensive technical support and training.

support

assistance, and

throughout

high-quality

data

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis every four months, with evaluation dates on 31 March, 31

“This funding represents a significant opportunity

July, and 30 November. For the inaugural round, the

for UK researchers across all biological disciplines,”

deadline has been extended to 9 December 2025,

explains Georgina Fletcher, UK Node Manager.

with decisions expected within four weeks of each

“We’re removing financial barriers that might

review cycle. Projects will be assessed based on

prevent researchers from accessing the cutting-

technical feasibility and scientific merit.

edge imaging technologies they need to advance their science.”

There is one mandatory requirement: researchers must discuss and agree their experimental plan—

The UK Node comprises 14 facilities across seven

including feasibility, cost, and timeframes—with

sites, offering access to an impressive range of

their chosen host facility before submitting an

advanced biological imaging techniques. Researchers

application. This ensures projects are well-planned

can access correlative, multi-modal, high-content,

and technically viable from the outset.

and super-resolution microscopy, along with expert image analysis services. Six of these sites are eligible for this funding opportunity: ESRIC (Edinburgh Super-resolution

Imaging

Consortium),

the

University of York’s Imaging and Cytometry Facility, multiple centres at the University of Liverpool,

42

comprehensive

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

“We encourage researchers to reach out early to discuss their imaging needs,” adds Fletcher.

“Our facilities are ready to help develop robust experimental plans that will make the strongest applications.”

For informal enquiries or guidance on which facility

The CLF OCTOPUS facility at Harwell is

might be most suitable for specific research needs,

excluded from this scheme as it already benefits

researchers can contact info@eurobioimaging.

from

eu or georgina@rms.org.uk.

arrangements through the Central Laser Facility.

Full details about the funding opportunity, eligibility

Contact: georgina@rms.org.uk

dedicated UKRI-funded

user

access

criteria, and the application process are available at www.rms.org.uk/user-access-fund.

43

NEWS

RMS welcomes Bami Osidele as lay trustee

Experienced fundraiser, partnerships and systems change leader joins RMS Council

Bami currently serves as National Partnerships Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, where he leads multisectoral national partnerships to tackle inequities for people living with cancer. He has extensive experience in fundraising and programme design, having structured blended finance partnerships and secured funding with UNICEF, the IOM-UN, private foundations, corporations, and trusts. Bami’s work has included launching carbonfinanced health campaigns, creating sustainabilitythemed programmes, and developing digital inclusion initiatives.

The RMS is delighted to welcome Bami Osidele as its newest lay trustee.

As part of the RMS Council, Bami will bring his expertise in fundraising and partnership-building, including a wealth of experience with cross-sector collaborations spanning health, sustainability and technology. Lay trustees are also afforded the same voting rights as an ordinary member and hold the same fiduciary duties.

Previously, he has led government engagement and ecosystem development for a $50M group of companies, contributed to UK Government innovation diplomacy efforts through the Go Global Africa Programme, and supported longterm systems change through partnerships with multilateral agencies.

Recognised by Tech Nation for his work blending fundraising, partnerships, and technology to create systemic impact, Bami is passionate about embedding equity, diversity, and co-creation into governance and fundraising strategy.

Find out more about the RMS Council

Volunteer at IMC21: last chance to apply!

The RMS is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help with the running of the 21st International Microscopy Congress (IMC21) taking place in Liverpool next year.

In return for volunteering your time for at least three consecutive days of the Congress, we are able to offer free registration, uniform t-shirts, and a free lunch on your volunteering days.

Volunteers are required to support RMS staff in ensuring the smoothest possible running of the Congress, performing duties such as guiding visitors around the venue, counting attendees into sessions and staffing information points.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Applications will close on Friday 12 December 2025, and selected applicants will be notified by Wednesday 17 December 2025. Those selected applicants will then be asked to attend a short virtual interview in the week commencing January 19 2026.

Find out more about volunteering for IMC21 and apply now IMC21 takes place in Liverpool from 31 August - 4 September 2026, ACC Liverpool, UK (PreCongress Events 30 August 2026).

Professor Helen Hansma receives RMS Honorary Fellowship

Pioneer of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in biology receives Society’s highest accolade The RMS is delighted to award an Honorary Fellowship to Professor Helen Hansma – widely regarded as ‘the mother of biological AFM’.

Helen is Emeritus Biophysics Research Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, UCSB, where she has worked since 1972. From her early career onwards, she became renowned for her ability to work across different fields and boundaries. Helen investigated diverse topics, from the chemistry of zinc-azine coordination compounds to the ionic mechanisms for membrane excitation in Paramecium.

She became a pioneer of the application of AFM to biology in topics ranging from Teflon films to biomaterials, including lipid films and synaptic vesicles, DNA, RNA and DNAprotein interactions, laminin and other macromolecules of the basement membrane, and bacterial biofilms.

Her work in the early 1990s, showing that DNA molecules could be imaged by an AFM in liquid, transformed biological microscopy.

Due to her early application of AFM to biology, Helen is considered as “the mother of biological AFM”.

high-throughput AFM and 'force spectroscopy'.

Her work with AFM revealed the astonishing mechanical mechanisms of spider-silk molecules, which are nature's 'bio-steel.'

Many people followed the path she opened with her successful work on the molecular mechanics that underlie the behaviour of natural fibres, biological adhesives and biology’s mechanical structures. For this reason she is also considered one the founders of the field of bionanomechanics.

In recent years, Helen has put forward an exciting and provocative hypothesis for the origin of life on Earth. She believes that mechanical energy could have driven the processes that gave rise to early life in the absence of chemical energy. Helen pioneered the origins model postulating that the motion of mica sheets (the most popular substrate of AFM studies of biomolecules in solution) could have driven chemical reactions energetically uphill, resulting in higher-energy molecules that are characteristic of life on Earth.

Helen also led some of the first efforts to produce

45

NEWS

Niamh Burke receives 2025 RMS Early Career Award Award presented at RMS offices The RMS was delighted to present the 2025 Early

Niamh, who is a member of the RMS Early Career

Career Award to Niamh Burke at the Society's

Committee (ECC), joined fellow members at

offices in Oxford.

the RMS offices in Oxford for the group’s recent

Niamh, a PhD student at University College Dublin,

the perfect opportunity for ECC Chair Katherine

won the award during the Early Career Symposium

Paine to present her with the award amid the

at mmc2025 in early July, where she gave a talk about

distinguished surroundings of the RMS library.

her work on the enderscope community project co-developing accessible imaging tools with the

The Eary Career Award Competition takes place annually to recognise the achievements of an

public. She was one of three short-listed candidates

outstanding early career imaging scientist in their

who gave talks at the event, emerging as the winner

contribution to microscopy, image analysis or

after some tricky deliberations by the judges.

cytometry

Niamh Burke (left) is presented with a glass award from Katherine Paine.

46

meeting on Tuesday 16 September. It presented

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

PhD student Callum Perrett completes internship at RMS Offices The RMS recently bade a fond farewell to Callum Perrett, who

has

completed

a

Professional

Internship Placement (PiP) at the Society’s Oxford offices.

Callum, who is currently studying for his PhD at the University of Birmingham, spent three months with the Society, beginning with a week in Manchester supporting the team at mmc2025. Following this he worked on finalising the recently refreshed RMS Ambassador programme – encouraging the Society’s pool of ambassadors to take a more active role in helping to promote the Society. He also took part in editing a Wiley Book Series publication; the Dictionary of Light Microscopy.

On his final day, Callum joined RMS staff for a special farewell lunch, where he was presented with a gift voucher and an official RMS tie.

Reflecting on his time at the RMS, he said: “Helping out at mmc was definitely a ‘trial by fire’ at the start of the placement, but I absolutely loved it. Everyone was really welcoming and it has just been really

universities. In the longer term, I think I definitely

helpful to see what goes on behind the curtain at

want to stay in research of some description.”

the RMS, and how much work goes on, as well as

RMS Chief Executive Sali Davis said: “It’s been a

the breadth of science and microscopy that’s being

real pleasure working with Callum these past few

supported. That was a real eye-opener.”

months. He has brought his own skills and energy

Callum is now in the second year of his PhD

to all the tasks he’s been given, and become a really

programme at the University of Birmingham’s

popular member of the team. It’s sad to see him go,

School of Biosciences. His research examines

but I’m sure we’ll catch up with him again in the

how experiences throughout life shape the brain

near future.”

through plasticity and degeneration, and how

Professional Internship Placements are part of

those structural changes ultimately lead to changes

the RMS’s commitment to supporting career

in behaviour. He regularly uses “every day” light

development within the microscopy, imaging and

microscopy and fluorescent microscopy for imaging.

cytometry community. The placements provide an

He said: “I just want to do as well as I can and gain

opportunity for students to develop their skills in a

as much experience out of my PhD as possible -

new environment, and for the Society to gain fresh

whether that’s in actual lab skills and techniques, or

perspectives and ideas.

general learning and knowledge. I’d also love to do

Find out more about Professional

some collaborative projects with people from other

Internship Placements at the RMS

47

NEWS

RMS sponsors imaging prize at ‘Humans and Microbes’ meeting Hamburg, Germany Congratulations to Yvonne Sokolowski-Adams The RMS was proud to sponsor the imaging prize at the ‘International Symposium Cell and Structural Biology of Host Pathogen Interaction’ - a scientific meeting organised by the DFG-funded Research Training Group 2771 (RTG2771) – Humans and Microbes.

The meeting, which took place from September 10 – 12, 2025, in Hamburg, Germany, enabled scientists to share cutting-edge research on how pathogens interact with host cells at a molecular level, focusing on methods such as structural biology and advanced imaging to understand infection processes and potentially develop new treatments.

The image award went to Yvonne SokolowskiAdams, a PhD student at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Her image (below) utilised serial section electron tomography (ssET) to show

48

a Plasmodium gametocyte.

mediates signaling for efficient genome uptake

Yvonne’s talk was titled ‘Host cell membrane lysis

during Plasmodium gamete formation.’

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Get connected with new RMS Member Directory!

The RMS has launched an exciting new ‘Member

How to update your public profile

Directory’ - enabling members to browse through

Log into the RMS website with your account details.

each other’s public profiles and connect directly

If you have never logged into the RMS website

online.

before, your details will already be in the system so

You can use the Directory to search for names

you should click ‘Forgotten password’.

or keywords in members’ biographies as well as

Once logged in, select ‘Public Profile’ from the ‘My

filtering results by ‘topics of interest’. Members can

RMS Account’ dropdown menu. Here you can select

also choose to be contactable via a new private

which information options you would like to add to

messaging facility, or share their email addresses

your profile. These include a photograph, contact

and social media accounts.

details, topics of interest, social media handles, and whether you would like to allow messaging within your account.

Some of the information will be pre-populated if you have already submitted it as part of your membership application. Any changes made to the public profile will appear in the member directory but are separate to your actual membership account information. If you wish to change that please select ‘My Details’ from the dropdown menu.

If you have not yet updated your member profile on the RMS website, now is the time to do so and get connected! Members have to be logged into their RMS account in order to view the directory. The features are entirely optional and members can opt out at any time.

Once you are happy with the information contained in your profile and have chosen what you would like to show, press ‘Publish’. As an RMS Member you have been automatically added to the RMS Member Directory. If you don’t want to be in the directory, you can opt out at any time by unchecking the box

RMS Chief Executive Sali Davis said:“We really hope

on the ‘My Directories’ webpage. Once you have

our members enjoy using this facility and making

opted out you can also disable your public profile

new connections within the Society. One of the

if you wish.

great things about the RMS is the diverse nature of our membership, and the breadth of microscopical

Log into your RMS Member

interests our members represent. We hope the

account to view the directory

new Directory will make things easier for members

and update your profile

with similar interests – or not so similar, perhaps - to reach out to each other and get networking.

At the end of the day, we are all part of the RMS family!”

49

R E P O RT Cell Motility Club Meeting 2025 – Best talk prize-winner, Lakshmi Balasubramaniam 13 June 2025 Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge

Embryos in action and expanding.

W

e thank the organisers of the Cell Motility Club Meeting 2025 for the opportunity to present our work on early-stage chick embryo development, and we are grateful to the RMS for supporting this award.

Avian embryos, including those of the chicken, begin as a single cell that rapidly divides to form a continuous, flat epithelial sheet. This epithelium expands through coordinated processes such as cell migration, proliferation, and out-of-plane delamination, ultimately giving rise to a 3D organism within 21 days.

Our research group at the Gurdon Institute investigates how cell behaviours, particularly movements and shape changes, contribute to this crucial transition from a two-dimensional epithelial sheet to a three-dimensional embryonic structure.

We focus on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMT), aiming to understand how cells dynamically alter their morphology and motility in response to changes in their local environment.

To study these processes in vivo, we utilise transgenic membrane-GFP chicken lines generated by the Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), combined with high-resolution time-lapse imaging using a Nikon

50

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

SORA spinning disk confocal system. The image shown here is a maximum intensity projection from one such time-lapse dataset, capturing the global cellular movements across the developing embryo.

Future work will explore how extracellular signals and tissue-tissue interactions orchestrate these directed cellular movements, ultimately shaping embryonic architecture during early development..

Lakshmi Balasubramaniam.

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Spotlight on…

Alfonso Schmidt, President of Microscopy New Zealand As an international society, the RMS has always sought to strengthen links with other organisations dedicated to furthering the science of microscopy around the world.

Earlier this year, the Society was proud to sign a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Microscopy New Zealand (MNZ), which is the collective voice of microscopists in Aotearoa, fostering collaboration, advancing education, and ensuring that the country remains at the forefront of global imaging science.

The agreement encourages both parties to seek new opportunities for collaborative working – such as helping to promote each other’s events, and opportunities for joint working on outreach and education initiatives.

Microscopy New Zealand (MNZ) emerged in 1978 as a periodic newsletter, enabling electron microscopists to share advice and news around New Zealand. In July 1980, the New Zealand Society of Electron Microscopy Incorporated was officially registered, and in 1996, its scope was broadened to include all microscopy techniques as it became Microscopy New Zealand Incorporated.

Today it aims to drive scientific discovery and innovation by promoting the study and application of microscopy, along with associated techniques. Its core objectives include the provision of professional expertise, encouragement

of

education

and

collaboration, and the strengthening of international and regional connections. infocus was delighted to catch up with the organisation’s recently elected president, Alfonso

52

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Alfonso Schmidt.

Attendees of the 31st New Zealand Conference on Microscopy in front of Ivey Hall, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.

Schmidt, to find out more about his journey in

professional connections. Currently I am part of the

microscopy, and the work of Microscopy New

RMS mentorship program, and I have applied to be a

Zealand.

RMS ambassador in New Zealand.

Can you provide a brief overview of your career in microscopy and your current role?

How did you get into microscopy and what inspires you most about it?

I am currently the Head of Bioimaging at the Hugh

reveal the unseen. It is a powerful experience

Green Technology Centre, part of the Malaghan

glimpsing never-before-seen worlds, and has an

Institute of Medical Research. Earlier this year I

intrinsic “wow” factor for everyone working with

was elected president of Microscopy New Zealand

this technology.

(MNZ) Society.

Microscopy has the power to transport you and

I feel very passionate about the importance of

Since childhood I have been fascinated with

experimental design and the implementation of

photography – the ability to capture light and time,

robust methods to develop quantitative microscopy.

combined with technological expertise. Microscopy

Nowadays, it is mind blowing just how much

is a fascinating field combining all these elements. I

technology is behind each piece of equipment, and

have a background in biological sciences, specifically

the huge advances made around image analysis with

marine biology.

the incorporation of artificial intelligence.

In my continuous learning philosophy over the past

How did you first become involved with Microscopy New Zealand?

eight years, I have been very privileged to build my expertise in microscopy and image analysis by attending several courses in Europe and Australia.

Furthermore, just before the Covid-19 pandemic, I enrolled in the RMS diploma program with the aim to receive a formal qualification in microscopy, complementing my working conditions. The RMS diploma program surpassed my expectations; not only did it endorse my knowledge in the field, but it has also boosted my career by facilitating

I had previously been part of the society for a decade or so with only a little involvement – specifically during our biennial national conference. However, in 2024 with local collaborators, we decided to implement a regional symposium to complement the MNZ conference.

The first symposium was a great success and

53

Alfonso in action at the lab.

revealed the need to engage more often and more

Knowledge Exchange Scheme and are actively

deeply with the microscopy community (including

seeking

academics, technicians, students and vendors) and

opportunities for society members.

organise additional activities to build a stronger community.

further

professional

development

Complementing these efforts, we also organise a fully-sponsored image competition to encourage

During last year’s annual general meeting, members

creativity and celebrate the art of imaging and visual

saw an opportunity for me to bring fresh ideas and

storytelling.

connectivity, and so I was elected president of the

How do you hope to build on the progress the Society has What are the top priorities for made during your time as MNZ at the moment?

President? society.

“The society has three main objectives: providing

During my time as President, I would like to see a

professional

and

more cohesive community with well-established

microanalysis, fostering education and collaboration,

communication channels and an up-to-date database

and strengthening international partnerships and

of technology platforms and techniques available

regional connections. Our mission is to advance

across the country. It would be thrilling to see the

scientific discovery and innovation by promoting

society more interconnected with organisations at

the study and application of light and electron

both regional and international levels. Finally, I would

microscopy, as well as related techniques.”

like to ensure that any progress made is done with a

We are committed to enhancing communication

long-term vision of the future.

with our members through several initiatives,

Do you feel there are any challenges or issues that are unique to the microscopy community in New Zealand?

expertise

in

microscopy

including a brand-new, regularly updated website, our Microscopy in Focus newsletter (published twice a year), and monthly email updates with news and opportunities at the national, regional, and international levels.

In addition, we continue to support the AU–NZ

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Challenges in the microscopy community are primarily associated with the limited support and funding available for specialised imaging scientists.

Universities and research institutions often have

to identify challenges in microscopy and pursue

little to no funding for specialisation, professional

long-term solutions. The number of bioimaging

development, or conference attendance. ‘Brain

communities worldwide has been steadily increasing,

drain’ is also a significant issue in New Zealand, as

showing promising signs of the growing development

many of the brightest minds are leaving the country

and influence in the field.

in search of better opportunities.

Looking ahead, I see further development focusing

On a more anecdotal note, the geographic isolation

on

of New Zealand remains a challenge in engaging

certification, which would allow core facilities to

with the wider global community. However, thanks

deliver standardised courses. Additionally, it would

to global connectivity, this has become more

be innovative to establish a facility recognition

manageable through links with major microscopy

program, where facilities could be certified for their

centres.

training, operations, and management.

I would also like to highlight that MNZ maintains a

What do you think is the single biggest issue in microscopy at the present time?

strong connection with Australia and its microscopy infrastructure, providing access to cutting-edge technology and training through the AU–NZ Knowledge Exchange Scheme.

Where would you like to see the Society in 10 years’ time?

training

standardisation

and

curriculum

Imaging scientists play a cornerstone role in our scientific community—training new generations and developing innovative approaches that drive new

I envision the society in 10 years’ time to be a stronger,

discoveries.

more robust professional body with a collaborative

However, the scientific field is advancing at a rapid

spirit to advance the scientific environment of New

pace, where the integration of multiple techniques

Zealand through microscopy. I would like to see the

is a critical approach to building robust knowledge.

biennial conference as a celebration of professional

In microscopy, technical expertise must be further

collaboration, and a space to network and share knowledge and expertise within the community.

I would like to see a vibrant microscopy society with training activities across the country, seminars highlighting the applications, techniques and impact of microscopy in science as well as consistent outreach activities, such as image competitions and newsletter publications.

Ultimately, I would like to see an engaged and diverse microscopy society that celebrates and showcases the amazing and magical world under the microscope!

developed and promoted to stay relevant and keep pace with these technological advancements.

Technical knowledge and capability are essential to providing well-informed training, accelerating discovery, and standardising scientific procedures.

We must also work to ensure the dissemination of long-term knowledge held by veterans in the field, so we don’t risk losing any crucial hard-won gains.

It is encouraging to see the global efforts in establishing and promoting technician engagement in microscopy, particularly in the United Kingdom leaded by Kelly Vere. However, technical staff often

What is the one thing the global microscopy community could be doing better?

lack professional development opportunities and

The Global Bioimaging network is a good example

engaged and committed to strengthening this key

of international collaborations working together

role within the scientific ecosystem.

clear career paths to keep them in this exciting field.

I would like to see the microscopy community more

55

Pyramidal nerve cell

By Josef Spacek, emeritus professor of pathology, Charles University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czechia Pyramidal nerve cell of the cerebral cortex under a light microscope.

Scale cube = 20 µm per side.

Golgi silver impregnation method. Nfpk Carl Zeiss light microscope, Nikon digital camera, the image digitally edited with a solarisation filter.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

MultiScope

Discovery at scale

Your samples stay still. Your science moves faster.

MultiScope delivers high throughput, motion free imaging with optional fluorescence and incubation control for organoids, live cells, and developmental biology.

Stable focus. Long term clarity. Cairn performance.

Developed in collaboration with Dr Alex Corbett (University of Exeter) and builds upon the novel random-access parallel imaging methodology first described by Dr Gil Bub (McGill University) and collaborators.

sales@cairn-research.co.uk +44(0)1795 590140

In Memoriam Sir Peter Hirsch, FRS, Hon FRMS. 1925 – 2025

A

fter a brief illness, Sir Peter Hirsch passed away on 12th September, having reached his 100th birthday earlier this year. His achievements in metallurgy, electron microscopy and

leadership are an astounding legacy of a very full life. Peter was born in Berlin in 1925,

but as the storm clouds began to darken over Europe, his life would change forever. In 1938 he witnessed the horrors of Kristallnacht and the following year was able to escape on a Kindertransport train to England. Arriving in London Peter then attended Sloane School in Chelsea: a 14-year-old refugee with very little understanding of English.

One of his teachers went by the nickname “Boozer

grant (£180 a year) from the British Iron and Steel

Brown”, for obvious reasons.

Association. Electron microscopy owes a lot to that

Now, Peter didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the nickname but his fellow pupils saw a good trick to

During the early part of this project Peter worked

be had and sent him with a message, to address the

closely with Noel Kellar in developing high-intensity

teacher as Boozer Brown. The ensuing punishment

X-ray tubes and a microbeam camera. Cold-worked

of having to write several thousand lines ensured

aluminium provided an ideal specimen, and the

Peter’s handwriting improved immensely, as did his

first successful results from their new systems,

grasp of colloquial English – qualities he maintained

spotty ring patterns, were published in Nature in

throughout his life.

1950. Noel Kellar had sadly lost his life in a boating

Peter’s time at school was in the end put to good effect and he was awarded an exhibition scholarship

accident in 1948, leaving a widow and two young sons.

to St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge, where he

In the current climate of Literature Reviews

studied physics. At that time crystallography was

and exhaustive literature searches, Peter had an

taught as part of mineralogy, which he also studied in his first two years. This kindled a keen, lifelong appreciation of crystals and symmetry. One thing Peter recalled from this course was the use of a

enlightened approach to scientific research. He recalled: “I tended not to read prior literature until I got a result.That way, you do something, following your ideas, and then you find out what the background knowledge

rudimentary overhead projector – years before

is”.

they became widely used. It was called “Belshazzar”.

Peter developed his research group in the 1950s,

If you wonder why it was so-called, look up the

and began using electron microscopy in the search

book of Daniel, chapter 5 verses 1 - 6 and you will

for dislocations - which had, until then, been

see the connection.

theoretical ideas to explain the behaviour of metals,

Moving on to his doctorate in the mid-1940s, Peter chose a project on X-ray diffraction from coldworked metals, rather than his preferred option, low-temperature

physics

(more

fashionable)

because the former came with a research support

58

decision.

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

but had never been seen conclusively. It took a serendipitous combination of several factors to make that discovery: one which would transform our understanding of crystalline solids.

In 1955, Peter’s research student Mike Whelan,

In 2021, the RMS was honoured to feature an interview with Sir Peter as part of the Society’s International Microscopy Lecture Series.

having spent many tedious months devising ways

dark lines. The question was – were these moire

of thinning specimens, was recording electron

fringes arising from overlapping grains, or could they

diffraction patterns from beaten gold and aluminium

be dislocations? All became literally clear when the

foils with an early Metro Vick electron microscope.

condenser aperture was withdrawn to increase the

One advantage of electron microscopy was the

brightness and to everyone’s amazement the lines

relatively short (~ 10 seconds) exposures compared

started moving around…! Mike was thus the first

with the X-ray exposures of up to 100 hours or

to observe moving dislocations. Peter was of course

more. This microscope was also being used by a

called in to see this new discovery, and was allowed

research student in another group – Jim Menter,

– for the first and only time – to actually move and

who suggested taking images as well as diffraction

tilt the specimen!

patterns. I quote Peter’s reaction to this suggestion:

Following this crucial experimental work, the

“We started off as crystallographers. We thought in

theories underpinning it were developed by Peter’s

terms of diffraction and when we saw the micrographs

group which by then included Archie Howie. These

we couldn’t understand them”.

well-known kinematical and dynamical diffraction

When in 1955, Ellis Cosslett acquired a new

contrast theories would be the lasting foundation

microscope in the Cavendish Laboratory, ironically

of electron microscopy in the physical sciences.

from Berlin, this was to prove a very timely event.

The 1960s saw several seminal papers on diffraction

This was an early version of the legendary Siemens

theory alongside which a book was published by

Elmiskop 1 with a resolution probably better than

Peter and his group – the famous “Yellow Bible”

1 nm. The breakthrough for Peter came when his

– Electron Microscopy of Thin Crystals. This would

group was given access to examine Mike Whelan’s

remain the standard reference work for several

“thin” (actually about 100 nm thick) foils. At sub-

decades, with a second edition and also a Russian

grain boundaries they noticed groups of parallel,

translation.

59

This decade also saw the first of a long list of

characteristic energy and insight. At a reception

awards and distinctions bestowed on Peter during

recognising Peter’s retirement, I recall a comment

his career: these included Fellowship of the Royal

from the Vice-Chancellor. He told me: “Peter was a

Society, Honorary

numerous

formidable person on a committee: he always got his

microscopy Societies, including the French, Spanish,

way, because he was always at least two steps ahead of

Japanese, Chinese and, of course, our own Royal

everyone else in the room”.

Fellowships

of

Microscopical Society. He was also a Foreign Member of the Belgian Academy of Science, the US National Academy of Science and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Two other awards were also made to Peter: his Knighthood in 1975 and his Wolf Prize in Physics in 1984 “for his development of the utilisation of the Transmission Electron Microscope to study the structure of crystalline materials” – which summed up his life’s work nicely.

Council Working Party, chaired by Sir Peter which was set up to consider the future funding for the Cambridge 600 kV HREM. This unique instrument was the brainchild of Ellis Cosslett and was built in the 1970s. Funding to keep it running in the face of a new generation of Japanese mediumvoltage instruments was by no means secure and I anticipated several fraught meetings of this

Peter’s involvement with gold didn’t stop with his

group before a final decision would eventually be

early research on thin foils. He was awarded three

made. There were inputs from chemists, physicists,

gold medals, from the Japanese Institute of Metals,

engineers, geologists and mineralogists, as well

Acta Metallurgica and the Russian Academy of

as life scientists, and it was soon very clear that

Sciences.

our chairman had completely mastered his brief

In 1966 Peter and several of his research group

and done his homework well. There was only one

moved to Oxford where he took up the Wolfson

meeting and the incisive leadership of the chairman

Chair in Metallurgy, a small department which he

meant that the Cambridge HREM project would

developed into one of the world’s leading centres

continue for several years to keep the UK at the

for electron microscopy. His work did not, however,

forefront of high-resolution EM. Perhaps Cosslett’s

confine him to an ivory tower overlooking Oxford’s

generous provision of that Siemens Elmiskop back

dreaming spires; his understanding of crystalline

in 1956 was amply repaid in kind almost exactly 25

materials and their properties made him much in

years later!

demand in industrial settings, including nuclear technology. In 1982 he became Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, a post he held for two years, while continuing to run a thriving department, then remaining on the UK Board for a further ten years. As far as I could see, Peter’s stint as Chairman carried only one important perk – a

His early studies in Cambridge gave Peter a life-long appreciation of diffraction physics, crystallography and crystal defects, which continued long into his “retirement”. At the age of 90, peter was co-author of another Nature paper – 65 years after his first one. Possibly a unique record?

car and driver, sparing him the stress of trying to

When he reached his 100th birthday earlier this year,

find a parking space in the University’s science area!

his former department and colleagues and students

When Peter retired in 1992, it came with a sense of relief in that his administrative burden was removed, leaving him free to concentrate on his research. The relief was also felt in the university’s top committees on which he had served with

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One such committee was a Science Research

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

arranged a special symposium “The Characterisation of Radiation Damage in Materials”, where it was very evident that Sir Peter’s contributions still live on in many fields of materials science.

Dr John Hutchison, Hon FRMS

In Memoriam

RMS deeply saddened to learn of death of Xiaohui (Helen) Chen

Senior Lecturer led wide-ranging research activities in dentistry

T

he RMS is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Xiaohui (Helen) Chen, a serving member of the Society's Engineering, Physical and Material Sciences (EPMS) Committee.

Helen was a popular and enthusiastic member of the RMS who will be greatly missed

by her colleagues and friends at the Society. She joined the EPMS Section in 2023 and played an active role on the committee, including at mmc2025 in July, when she attended the group's Annual General Meeting.

Helen was a Senior Lecturer at the Division of

to Helen's family, friends and colleagues at this

Dentistry at the University of Manchester's School

difficult time.

of Medical Sciences, where she focused on Dental Biomaterials Research and Innovation to improve Oral Health. She obtained her BEng (Hons) in Metallurgy at Northeastern University in China, and an MEng (Hons) in Materials Science and a PhD in Dental Materials at Queen Mary University of London.

Helen led wide-ranging research activities in Biomaterials for Dentistry including investigating structure and mechanical properties of enamel and dentine, dental erosion, bioactive glasses for oral health, dental resin composites design and optimisation, glass-ceramics synthesis and characterisation, 3D printing replica teeth and implant surface modifications. Her research not only led to journal publications but also to patents and products.

The RMS would like to offer its sincere condolences

61

C O M PA N Y N E W S

An interview with a Q-Phase founder From holography to biology: how one idea

or staining. Listen to an interesting story, that led to

reshaped live-cell imaging.We are pleased to

the creation of Q-Phase.

share a new video with Prof. Radim Chmelík from Brno University of Technology, the inventor of the

Link to video

Q-Phase microscope he reflects on the journey at Brno University of Technology that led to the creation of a completely new optical system for gentle, label-free live-cell imaging. By combining holography with wide-field microscopy and using incoherent light instead of lasers, Q-Phase allows researchers to observe living cells without damage

LiveCodim in Glasgow university There are several ways a research facility can

laboratories that already have a confocal or

acquire a super-resolution microscope, but most

widefield microscope, Telight offers an efficient

involve purchasing a completely new system. For

solution to upgrade their existing setup to a superresolution platform using the LiveCodim imaging unit. A demo system is currently available at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

For more information, please contact us using the following link.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Photon Lines Ltd Strengthens Advanced Microscopy Capabilities with Appointment of Dr Andrew Allan as Business Development Manager Photon Lines Ltd is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Andrew Allan as Business Development Manager, further consolidating the company’s growing expertise in advanced microscopy and laser-based imaging solutions.

Since Martyn Reynolds took over as Managing Director in 2023, Photon Lines has pursued a strategic vision to expand its technical team and establish a dedicated microscopy division alongside its long-standing strengths in photonics, including Omicron lasers, AA acousto-optics, and PCO scientific cameras. This approach enables Photon Lines to deliver fully integrated optical and imaging solutions, supporting customers from the light source through to the final image.

“Our aim has been to build a specialist microscopy team that complements our deep expertise in photonics,” said Martyn Reynolds, Managing Director of Photon Lines Ltd. “Dr Allan’s experience in light sheet microscopy in particular will be instrumental in helping us deliver complete imaging workflows - from sample preparation to high-resolution visualisation.”

Photon Lines represents a range of cutting-edge technologies, including the Abberior MIRAVA STED, Crest V3 Spinning Disk Confocal, Aurox Clarity Confocal, and Prospective Instruments Multiphoton microscopes - covering super-resolution, confocal, and deep-tissue imaging. Dr Allan will support these activities and lead in delivering and supporting

advanced Light Sheet imaging systems from Life Canvas, complementing the company’s expanding microscopy portfolio.

“I’m excited to join a company that combines technical depth with a forward-looking vision,” said Dr Andrew Allan. “Photon Lines is uniquely positioned to bridge photonics and microscopy, providing researchers with the tools they need to push the boundaries of imaging science.”

This appointment marks a significant step in Photon Lines’ continued growth and commitment to serving the life sciences, materials science, and optical research communities with world-class instrumentation, expert support, and system-level innovation.

Photon Lines Ltd is a leading supplier of advanced imaging and photonics solutions, offering a comprehensive range of confocal, multiphoton, and super-resolution microscopy systems. With deep expertise in lasers, acousto-optics, and scientific cameras, Photon Lines partners with world-class manufacturers - including Abberior Instruments, CrestOptics, Aurox, Prospective Instruments, Life Canvas, Omicron Laserage, PCO, and AA Optoelectronics - to deliver high-performance, integrated imaging platforms and expert technical support to research and industry clients across the UK and Europe. www.photonlines.co.uk

If you would like your Company News to appear on these pages, please contact infocus Magazine at advertising@infocus.org.uk The announcements in this Section are compiled by the manufacturers. They in no way represent a recommendation by the Royal Microscopical Society for any particular instrument or equipment. The Royal Microscopical Society does not endorse, support, recommend or verify the information provided on these pages.

63

RMS and BioImagingUK receive Technician Commitment 'Impact Award' Organisations recognised for joint efforts to support technicians across imaging community We are thrilled to announce that the RMS and

Project Officer Georgina Fletcher collected the

BioImagingUK have been awarded the Technician

award from Helen Pain MBE, CChem FRSC, and met

Commitment ‹Award of Impact›.

with Dr Kelly Vere MBE, Director of the Technician

The award recognises the organisations’ joint efforts to support technical roles in microscopy and imaging through the delivery of an Action Plan.

Commitment, at a special event in London on Tuesday (18 November).

Georgina said: “We’re really delighted to receive this award and very grateful to the Technician Commitment for the recognition. This achievement belongs to the entire imaging community - our dedicated technicians, the facilities who participate in our programmes, and everyone who has contributed to embedding these principles into the work of RMS and BioImagingUK.” The award celebrates the work of the RMS and BioImagingUK in advancing the four core themes of the Technician Commitment

-

visibility,

recognition,

career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

Highlights have included: •

Awarding around 85 travel grants to support technicians attending conferences and professional events

•

Approximately 60 technical training subsidies for continuing professional development

•

Publishing a Core Facilities Publication Policy and a Poster with Guidelines to

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

BioImagingUK Project Officer Georgina Fletcher (right) receives the award from Technician Commitment Director Kelly Vere MBE.

•

promote fair authorship and acknowledgement

Commenting

of technicians

panel highlighted the organisations’ sector-leading

Engaging

over

84,000

school-age

pupils

through outreach programmes •

94 secondary schools participating in our tabletop scanning electron microscope project

on

the

submission,

the

work in recognition and sustainability. The feedback also praised the “phenomenal outreach work” and “exceptional support to technicians” provided through joint programmes.

The report concluded that “very strong progress”

The RMS and BioImagingUK became joint-

had been demonstrated across all four pillars of the

signatories of the Technician Commitment in 2022,

Technician Commitment, with “multiple examples

and submitted evidence of their efforts to a review

of sector-leading activity”.

panel earlier this year.

65

NEW PRODUCTS The Cairn MultiScope - a novel highthroughput microscope for parallel imaging For many high-throughput imaging systems, the bottleneck to temporal resolution comes from moving the sample to the focal plane of the imaging objective. This is a particular problem within drug discovery because of the need to test drug efficacy and toxicity across a wide range of cell lines, animal models and developmental stages, requiring a vast number of assays.

A prototype MultiScope, developed at the University of Exeter, is a novel optical imaging technology designed around standard multi-well plates. Rather than using motors to accelerate the sample within each well to the microscope objective (or vice versa), the MultiScope constructs a separate optical path around each well. Illumination of each well is provided by a custom LED array. Wells are illuminated sequentially, and images are relayed to a single camera via a large parabolic mirror. The LEDs can be modulated very quickly, such that images from each well plate can be captured at a rate limited only by the frame rate of the camera.

The proof-of-concept system was first published in collaboration with Gil Bub (https://doi.org/10.7554/ eLife.56426, 2021) and has been applied to a range of applications (Figure 1). The first of these was described in an article for infocus Magazine (Issue 65, 2022). This project demonstrated that switching between wells was fast enough to continuously track sea worm larvae across nine wells of a 96well plate in parallel. More recent prototypes have captured cardiac dynamics across scales from heart muscle cell cultures (ihPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.09.611998) to whole-well imaging of free-swimming zebrafish

(Figure 1(c)). As the sample remains stationary throughout the automated imaging process, it is well suited to the imaging of delicate samples such as organoids (Figure 1(d)). The addition of excitation/emission filters and a sCMOS camera enables fluorescence imaging of live samples from the individual cell (Figure 1(e)) to the whole animal (Figure 1(f)).

In 2025, Exeter University licensed the MultiScope technology to Cairn Research Limited. Cairn Research have since applied their expertise to the development of a commercial system with custom-designed optics and an improved light path that enables the use of a large field of view, high-sensitivity camera. The redesign of the relay optics has improved spatial resolution, whilst environmental control and optional robot plate loading provide automated long time-lapse imaging of delicate samples. https://cairn-research.co.uk

A glucose-powered nanorobots Researchers at CEITEC, led by Professor Martin Pumera, have developed glucose-powered nanorobots capable of modulating cell behaviour through biochemical reactions. Using the Q-Phase microscope from Telight, scientists visualised in real time how these nanoscale machines influence cell growth and morphology. The quantitative phase imaging (QPI) technique enabled precise, labelfree observation of living cells, revealing subtle

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

biophysical changes induced by the nanorobots.

This study demonstrates the potential of combining nanotechnology with advanced microscopy to deepen our understanding of cell dynamics and to open new avenues for targeted biomedical applications. https://telight.eu/glucose-powerednanorobots/

Thermo Fisher launches Scios 3 and Talos 12 electron microscopes to advance materials and life science research This year, Thermo Fisher Scientific launched two groundbreaking electron microscopes. The new instruments-Scios 3 FIB-SEM and Talos 12 TEM-are engineered to make high-performance microscopy more accessible to researchers across both academic and industrial sectors.

Scios 3 FIB-SEM: Driving Performance and Usability in Materials Analysis The newly introduced Thermo Scientific™ Scios™ 3 is a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) designed for advanced materials characterization. With cutting-edge automation capabilities, Scios 3 enhances sitespecific quality control and delivers superior lamella preparation thanks to improved FIB column performance. Its intuitive user interface ensures that microscopists of all skill levels can operate the system with confidence and precision.

3 streamlines workflows and increases operational efficiency, empowering scientists to push the boundaries of innovation.

Talos 12 TEM: Expanding Access to High-Resolution Biological Imaging Thermo Fisher also introduced the Thermo Scientific™ Talos™ 12 TEM, an evolution of its widely adopted Talos transmission electron microscope platform. Designed to meet the growing demand for flexible, high-resolution imaging, Talos 12 delivers accessible and reliable performance for applications in biological research, pathology, and pharmaceutical development. The Talos 12 is an adaptable 120kV instrument, designed to benefit a wide array of laboratories. Not only does the reduced footprint and next-generation enclosure fit into more lab spaces, but the streamlined workflows – from routine imaging of cells and tissues to AI-assisted sample characterisation to cryo-EM – enable the user-friendly Talos 12 to support remote operation for collaboration regardless of location.

Together, the Scios 3 and Talos 12 reflect Thermo Fisher’s commitment to enabling broader use of advanced microscopy technologies, helping scientists accelerate discovery across disciplines. www.thermofisher.com

“Researchers across the globe seek new and better materials for various applications – from clean energy and aerospace to productivity of digital devices,” said David Wall, vice president and general manager of materials science for Thermo Fisher.

“The current pace of the development of new materials and their increasing complexity poses significant challenges, and Scios 3 addresses those challenges head-on with world-class advancements designed to serve both academia and industry.”

Designed for high-throughput environments, Scios

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NEW PRODUCTS

Miltenyi Biotec’s 3D IF antibodies are the key to high-resolution 3D images 3D-IF antibodies are validated for a wide range of

Finally Miltenyi Biotec’s recombinantly engineered

tissue clearing methods, tested for functionality and

REAfinity® Antibodies offer superior lot-to-lot

optimised for deep tissue penetration of small and

consistency, are highly specific and do not bind to Fc

large samples. Direct immunostaining with 3D-IF

receptors on immune cells in your tissue samples.

antibodies can significantly accelerate 3D imaging

Additionally, their consistent human IgG1 isotype

experiments due to 50% shorter staining duration.

ensures consistent fluorochrome conjugation.

Conjugated to Vio® Dyes which are highly

Miltenyi Biotec’s 3D-IF Antibodies are the perfect

photostable and generate excellent signal-to-noise

choice for high-resolution 3D imaging.

ratios; 3D-IF antibodies are comparable in many

https://www.miltenyibiotec.com/ GB-en/products/macs-antibodies/ antibodies-for-tissue-clearing-and-3dimmunofluorescence-microscopy.html

characteristics to commonly used Alexa Flour® dyes but with increased photostability allowing them to withstand the laser/filter combinations widely used in 3D imaging.

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

first image

last image

The new standard for surface roughness Semiconductor research and production go hand

has long frustrated the community with its slow

in hand with silicon wafers, and one of their most

speed. This challenge is now solved with Nanosurf’s

critical properties is surface roughness. Even tiny

WaveMode, available on the DriveAFM and the

irregularities can have a major impact on device

industrial Alphacen 300 Drive systems. WaveMode

performance. Excessive roughness, for instance, can

is up to 15 times faster than conventional dynamic

degrade key electrical characteristics by reducing

mode, setting a new benchmark for subnanometer

the mobility of electrons and holes, ultimately

roughness measurements and making DriveAFM

compromising the efficiency and reliability of

the future standard in semiconductor metrology.

the final device. This effect extends far beyond electrical performance, influencing every stage of semiconductor manufacturing, from adhesion and photolithography to overall device reliability.A rough wafer scatters charge carriers, driving up resistance and cutting efficiency, which might impair highperformance CPUs, GPUs, and memory chips. It also downgrades thin-film adhesion, photolithography precision, and even optical properties in LEDs and solar cells. Worse, roughness can trigger cracks and defects in the material, reducing yield and reliability.

WaveMode is possible thanks to the CleanDrive technology, consisting of a second laser which excites the cantilever off-resonance phototermically; unlike other implementations of off-resonance modes, WaveMode has the advantage that it does neither need nor rely on subtraction of any parasitic background. The photothermal excitation allows to overcome the f/Q limit typical of the dynamic mode. “Adding the Fast Scanning option, an additional piezo able to rapidly track the surface, enables faster response times and significantly

Therefore, manufacturers of semiconductors must

higher scanning speeds.”, adds Carolina Paba,

constantly monitor the roughness of silicon wafers,

Application Scientist at Nanosurf. In the production

a parameter defined as the root mean square of

line of a semiconductor factory, this means higher

height deviations from the mean at each point,

throughput.

which is typically in the subnanometer (angstrom)

https://www.nanosurf.com/insights/ the-new-standard-for-surfaceroughness

range. Atomic force microscopy is the natural choice for this task, but traditional dynamic mode

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NEW PRODUCTS

Vision Engineering Unveils ProteQ VISO: A Digital Stereo Microscope Set to Redefine Inspection and Design Workflows Vision Engineering, global leader in ergonomic

enhance depth perception, allowing intuitive 3D

microscopy,

metrology

interaction during inspection and prototyping.When

solutions, announces the launch of ProteQ VISO,

collaboration is key, users can choose to switch to

a digital stereo microscope with a fully integrated

mono viewing, enabling real-time discussion and

‘autostereo’ display, enabling true flat screen 3D

shared analysis — whether in person or remotely.

stereo

imaging

and

image viewing without traditional eyepieces.

Engineered for advanced inspection labs and

A Leap Forward in Microscopy Innovation

design, new product development, manufacturing

“ProteQ VISO marks the next generation of

applications and prototyping functions, ProteQ VISO

ergonomic desktop digital microscopy,” said Paul

offers a leap forward in user comfort, collaborative

Newbatt, Group Sales and Marketing Director at

efficiency and digital versatility, compared with 2D

Vision Engineering. “It empowers teams to work

systems — ideal for precision workflows including

faster, collaborate smarter, and stay comfortable –

electronics, manufacturing, prototyping, and medical

all while experiencing true stereo clarity on-screen.”

device development.

ProteQ VISO is available to order now direct

Autostereo display

from Vision Engineering direct, or via its global

ProteQ VISO’s autostereo is an IPS LCD Display

distribution network. Prices start from £12,000.

technology that does not require additional glasses

https://www.visioneng.com/proteqviso

or any other tools to provide vivid 3D images.

Viewers enjoy the immersive experience of 3D images with less visual fatigue. Twin cameras located in the monitor track the position of the user’s head and direct separate images to each eye, ensuring the user receives perfectly clear 3D images, whilst enabling freedom of head movement.

Designed for Ergonomics, Built for Efficiency ProteQ

VISO’s

upright

viewing

position,

adjustable screen, and eye-point comfort redefine ergonomic microscopy — minimising fatigue and maximising productivity over extended sessions.

Combined with live magnification indication and seamless 10:1 optical zoom, users can work with precision and ease.

The microscope’s stereo image capabilities

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ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Semplor and Digital Surf announce the launch of Semplor Explore Apps for advanced material characterization on NANOS tabletop SEMs

Semplor, a leading provider of innovative tabletop

area, perimeter, shape descriptors and count

SEM solutions, and Digital Surf, renowned for its

distributions, with visual overlays that clearly display

advanced surface imaging and analysis software,

particle boundaries.

are excited to introduce the Semplor Explore Apps. This suite of advanced analysis tools seamlessly integrates with the NANOS tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), transforming standard imaging into comprehensive material characterization capabilities.

Explore Fibers: specifically designed for fiber analysis, this module measures diameter, orientation and coverage and can accurately trace overlapping or touching fibers. Orientation distributions and pore characteristics are automatically generated, providing valuable statistics for textiles, nonwovens,

Unlocking advanced analysis capabilities

electrospun materials and more.

The Semplor Explore Apps expand the analytical

Explore 3D: generate realistic 3D reconstructions

potential of the NANOS tabletop SEM with three

and quantitative height maps directly from SEM

specialized modules.

images. The NANOS tabletop SEM features a

Explore Particles: detect, quantify and measure particles, pores, or grains with precision. The module offers multiple segmentation methods,

unique eucentric stage tilt, enabling stereoscopy for both SE and BSE images, capabilities not typically available on other SEMs.

including thresholding and watershed, to overcome

Additionally, the four-quadrant BSE detector

challenges in particle dispersion or sample

produces calibrated topography and height maps,

preparation.

while single-image rendering offers fast, visually

Even

touching

particles

can

be

separated

and analysed individually. Results include size,

compelling 3D visualisations. www.semplor.com

71

NEW PRODUCTS

New Imaging Possibilities Using the First Multi-Immersion Silicone Gel Objective and Silicon Gel Pad

To address these challenges, Evident developed the first multi-immersion silicone gel objective.

Featuring

the

LUPLAPO25XS

objective

lens

and Evident’s patented silicone gel pad, this breakthrough technology aims to combine the ease of dry objectives with the optical performance of immersion lenses and satisfies both optical and mechanical properties for microscopy.

These are the advantages of Evident’s Silicone Gel Pads for Microscopic Imaging: Refractive index, Abbe number, transmittance, and autofluorescence do not change before and after compression, enabling acquisition of high SNR images during fluorescence observation.

Combined with LUPLAPO25XS, observation down The objective lens is the key component that determines the optical performance of a microscope. Traditionally, two types of objectives have been available: dry lenses and immersion lenses. Immersion objectives are widely used in

The material can be used continuously for about one month, reproducing its original shape even after several thousand adhesions and removal operations.

life science research due to their ability to capture

Low adhesion of the material to the container

high-resolution and bright images.

enables

However, users often report several challenges

lens

switching

without

shifting

the

observation position or cleaning the container.

associated with immersion objectives:

No birefringence, and DIC observation is supported.

Using an immersion objective with a multi-well

The material is resistant to moisture and heat. Its

plate is cumbersome and complicated.

properties remain unchanged over a long period of

Applying immersion liquid is difficult when using

time with no expiration date.

a stage-top incubator for long-term time-lapse

The gel shape and physical properties do not

experiments.

change, so imaging experiments can be performed

Switching from high‑magnification immersion lenses for detailed observation to low‑magnification dry

more stably and over a longer period without being affected by the external environment.

lenses for macro-observation contaminates the dry

Safe and reliable materials that are gentle to the

one with immersion liquid.

human body and the environment.

Cleaning the microscope and specimens after using

https://evidentscientific.com/en/

immersion oil is a hassle.

72

to 1 mm depth is possible

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

Photon Lines Ltd introduces the LifeCanvas SmartBatch+ for high-throughput tissue clearing and labelling Photon Lines is pleased to announce the availability

uniformity, faster turnaround, and cleaner imaging

of the LifeCanvas SmartBatch+, a next-generation

outcomes for whole-brain, organ, and large tissue

electrophoretic

samples.

clearing

system

for

rapid,

reproducible, and high-throughput tissue clearing and labelling - now available to researchers across the UK and Europe.

Developed

by

When combined with LifeCanvas’ SmartSPIM light sheet imaging systems, the SmartBatch+ completes a powerful workflow for 3D visualisation of

LifeCanvas

Technologies,

the

SmartBatch+ is an all-in-one solution that automates and standardises the tissue clearing and labelling process for large-volume samples. Designed to process up to 12 samples simultaneously, it ensures uniform and consistent results across batches while dramatically reducing manual handling time and

complex biological structures - from intact organs to entire model organisms.

“The SmartBatch+ brings industrial-level reliability and reproducibility to tissue clearing,” says Andrew Allan, Photon Lines Ltd. “It’s an ideal platform for facilities looking to scale up high-content 3D

variability.

imaging while maintaining exceptional data quality.”

An advance on the CLARITY tissue clearing method,

Photon Lines Ltd is a leading supplier of advanced

Clear+ provides maximum optical transparency

imaging

with no tissue expansion or contraction. In

comprehensive range of confocal, multiphoton, and

immunolabeling mode, eFLASH and patented

super-resolution microscopy systems. With deep

SE technologies uniformly label whole organs.

expertise in lasers, acousto-optics, and scientific

Unlike other methods like iDISCO and CUBIC,

cameras, Photon Lines partners with world-class

SmartBatch+ actively preserves fluorescent protein

manufacturers - including Abberior Instruments,

signal.

CrestOptics, Aurox,

Compatible

with

LifeCanvas’

proprietary

Clear+ reagents as well as a range of other clearing chemistries, the SmartBatch+ integrates temperature, fluid flow, and electrical control to optimise tissue transparency and preservation of fluorescent signal. The result is superior clearing

and

photonics

solutions, offering

Prospective

a

Instruments,

Life Canvas, Omicron Laserage, PCO, and AA Optoelectronics - to deliver high-performance, integrated imaging platforms and expert technical support to research and industry clients across the UK and Europe. www.photonlines.co.uk

If you would like your new product information to appear on these pages, contact infocus Magazine at advertising@infocus.org.uk The announcements in this Section are compiled by the manufacturers. They in no way represent a recommendation by the Royal Microscopical Society for any particular instrument or equipment. The Royal Microscopical Society does not endorse, support, recommend or verify the information provided on these pages.

73

R E P O RT 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes – FEMS EUROMAT 2025 Granada, Spain, September 14-18, 2025 Dr Andreas Delimitis

I

n September 2025, I was awarded a Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) Travel Grant to support my participation in FEMS EUROMAT 2025, the 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes. This year, the Congress was held in Granada, Spain, at the

city’s impressive Exhibition and Conference Centre, offering stunning views of the historic city centre and the breathtaking Alhambra complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

EUROMAT Congresses, held biennially under the

With over 2,000 oral and poster submissions, the

auspices of FEMS (the Federation of European

Congress provided a rich scientific programme and

Materials Societies), are among the most significant

countless networking opportunities.

events in the materials science community.

The plenary lectures addressed key developments

EUROMAT 2025 featured eight thematic areas and

in materials science. Rosa Menéndez delivered a

61 symposia, covering the full spectrum of materials

compelling talk on graphene materials and their

science - from materials growth, characterisation

role in sustainability, while Laura del Río discussed

and applications, to sustainability, circular economy,

innovations in steel manufacturing through 3D

technology transfer, education, and policy trends.

printing. Sarah Haigh’s enlightening lecture

The rooftop garden of the Congress Centre provided a spectacular setting for informal networking during the opening ceremony.

74

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

explored in-situ HRSTEM, low-voltage imaging, and

of the Congress Centre, providing a spectacular

tomography techniques to tackle dynamical process

setting for informal networking under the night sky

challenges in electron microscopy. Another highlight

overlooking Granada and the Alhambra. Monday

was Franz Faupel’s thought-provoking plenary

evening featured a guided tour of the city, while the

on the sustainability crisis in materials R&D, and

Congress dinner on Tuesday was a social highlight.

the vital roles universities, public institutions, and individuals play in shaping a sustainable future.

I am sincerely grateful to the Royal Microscopical Society for making my participation in EUROMAT

My contribution was within Thematic Area A:

2025 possible through the generous support of the

Functional Materials, specifically in Symposium A2:

RMS Travel Grant.

Nanomaterials, nanoparticles and nano-structuring.

Dr Andreas Delimitis Assistant Professor Condensed Matter & Materials Physics Department of Physics Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Reflecting its broad title, the A2 symposium encompassed a wide array of topics: from polymers, catalysts and thermoelectrics to biomaterials, magnetics and beyond, integrating experimental, numerical and theoretical research. The symposium received over 85 abstracts and spanned ten oral and two poster sessions from Monday morning (September 15th) through Wednesday afternoon.

Keynote presentations in Symposium A2 included Hiroshi Jinnai (Tohoku University, Japan), who explored deformation mechanisms in polyethylene using

electron

nanodiffraction

and

Stavros

Nicolopoulos (CEO, NanoMEGAS), who presented the

latest

advances

in

precession

electron

diffraction and its diverse applications. As someone deeply involved in electron crystallography, I was particularly interested in the emerging approaches in serial electron diffraction and the innovative instrumentation being developed by NanoMEGAS in collaboration with academic partners across Europe and the US. I presented an oral talk on electron channeling and ALCHEMI studies of thermoelectric nanomaterials, focusing on correlating thermoelectric properties with

nanoscale

structural

features.

Notably,

Symposium A2 featured exclusive awards for the best oral and best poster presentations, fostering strong engagement from early-career researchers and encouraging high-quality contributions.

The Congress also offered a vibrant social programme. The Opening Ceremony on Sunday, September 14th, was held at the rooftop garden

75

Submission Guidelines

infocus is the Royal Microscopical Society’s (RMS) vibrant and striking quarterly magazine for members. It provides a common forum for scientists & technologists who use any form of microscope, including all branches of microscopy. Published four times a year, infocus is free to members of the RMS.

• Spelling should conform with The Concise Oxford Dictionary and SI units must be used.

• Abbreviations should be used sparingly and only if a lengthy name/expression is repeated throughout the article. When used, the abbreviated name or expression should be cited in full at first usage, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

infocus features articles on microscopy related topics, techniques and developments, an events calendar, news, event reports, book reviews, new product information, and much more.

• Authors should provide a photograph, brief biography as well as contact information that will be published.

infocus welcomes submissions of:

References in the text should be in the form Joy (2000) or Joy & Williams (2000). For three or more authors, use the form Echlin et al. (2000). The reference list should:

Articles - Full articles or reviews of general interest to microscopists, of approximately 30004000 words (excluding references), with images/ figures (as many as appropriate, 4-8 as a guide).

Longer articles can also be considered.

Short Articles - Short topical articles, review articles or articles providing hands-on help for microscopy methods.

Primer Articles - Short general articles that are focussed on specific techniques.

Debuts - Student articles publishing emerging results from a project. Results may still be incomplete, but areas of progress/problems should be highlighted, with the aim of provoking feedback.

Book Reviews – if you are a member of the RMS and are interested in writing book reviews for infocus, please contact Owen Morton owen@rms.org.uk.

Please see recent issues of infocus for examples of articles and reviews.

If you are interested in submitting to infocus, contact: editor@infocus.org.uk

Article Text

References

• be listed in alphabetical order of first authors’ surnames.

• (where a journal is cited) - include authors’ surnames and initials, date of publication, title of paper, name of journal, volume number, and first and last page numbers.

• (where a book is cited) - include authors’ surnames and initials, title of book, year of publication, edition, followed by publisher and town, county/state (and country if necessary) of publication.

• (where a URL is cited) – include authors’ surnames and initials, year of publication, title of page, URL and date accessed.

Images / Figures • Figures can be one column/half page width, 65.5 mm or two column/full page width, 135 mm.

• Larger images may fill the page/spread. A full page of the magazine is 170 x 250 mm, a double page is 340 x 250 mm.

• Text in figures (labels, axis labels, legends, etc) should be Helvetica or Arial, 8pt size.

• Text should be in a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman or Arial) at a size of 12 pt.

• Figure and table captions should be listed numerically at the end of the article text

• Articles should begin with a brief summary, which accurately summarises the content and is intelligible without reference to the text.

• Line weights and line strokes should have a maximum value of 1 and a minimum of 0.25.

• Footnotes and appendices should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

• The hierarchy of headings within the text should be clear.

• For graphs and plots, whenever possible, please submit vectorized images.

• As much as possible, please avoid white spaces.

• All images must be high resolution – 300dpi or more.

Double page of magazine, 340 x 250mm (Trim size) 76

ISSUE 80 DECEMBER 2025

• Submission files should be in CMYK format and can be supplied as tiff, jpeg or eps files.

• Images MUST include scale bars or field widths where relevant.

• Total number of images/figures/tables should not exceed 15 including tables.

Proofs Prior to publication, authors will be sent a PDF of the article by email for approval.

Authors should ensure articles are thoroughly checked before submission – proof amendments should be limited to minor corrections only.

Copyright Authors are requested to assign copyright to the RMS. However, authors may make copies of their own articles without seeking permission from the RMS, provided that such copies are for free distribution only (they must not be sold) and provided that infocus is properly acknowledged (issue number, month and page number should be given). Permission to reproduce material from infocus in other publications will not be given to third parties except with the consent of the authors concerned.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyright material from other sources.

Approval for reproduction/modification of any material (including figures and tables) published elsewhere should be obtained by the authors before submission of the manuscript and the source of the material should be properly acknowledged. Authors are responsible for any copyright fee involved.

One column/half page width, 65.5mm

Authors are requested to complete and submit a signed copy of our copyright sign-off form. This is available on the RMS website (www.infocus.org.uk).

Figure 1. Width of figure or table confined to one column.

Two column/full page width, 135mm

Figure 2. Width of figure or table spanning full width of page.

77

EW

N

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