Overview
The Microscopy laboratory is used by shipboard paleontologists to identify microfossils for dating the sediments, by sedimentologists to check grain sizes and more and by igneous petrologists/alteration and structure geologists to classify rocks. We also carry a fluorescent microscope for microbiological sample analysis.
Instruments
- Four Zeiss Stereo binocular microscopes, with manual 8:1 zoom and either reflected or transmitted light viewing
- One Zeiss Axioplan microscope equipped for simultaneous transmitted and reflected polarized light viewing, with a large variety of objectives
- Two Zeiss Axioskop A1 microscopes equipped for simultaneous transmitted and reflected polarized light viewing, with a large variety of objectives
- One Zeiss Axiophot microscope equipped for DIC, phase contrast, and fluorescence studies and for cross-polarized light, plane-transmitted light, and darkfield illumination
- On Zeiss Imager 2 fluorescent microscope and one Zeiss Imager 2 with DIC capability
- Most microscopes are equipped with SPOT cameras for digital microphotography,
- The MBIO epifluorescence microscope has a Zeiss camera attached that works with the Zen blue software
- PICAT to photograph full thin section images in plane- and cross-polarized light (PICAT Quick Start Guide or PICAT User GuidePlease ask a technician to take those for you, if they were not automatically produced when you received the thin section.)
- Please note that proprietary manuals are available upon request and subject to limited use
Sample Preparation
- Thin Sections
- Fine Fraction Spraying Quick Start Guide
- SybrGold Virus and Bacteria Direct Count Protocol
Sample Imaging
- PICAT Quick Start Guide (technician will perform this)
- PICAT User Guide (technician will perform this)
- Image Capture Quick Start Guide
- Image Capture: Image Scaling
- Zen blue Image Acquisition on MBIO microscope
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
- SEM User SNE-4500M Plus SEM Quick Start Guide
- SEM-EDS Bruker Quick Start Guide
- Sputter Coater Quick Start Guide