A complete guide to one of the most revolutionary technologies in the history of imaging

Near-field microscopes combine the richness of optical analysis, the noninvasive character of light, and the wide variety of sample environments of conventional microscopes with the finer spatial resolution of alternative technologies. Near-Field Optics combines an introduction to near-field optical theory with a handbook and reference for the practice and application of near-field microscopy. Michael A. Paesler and Patrick J. Moyer provide the most comprehensive presentation available on the instrumentation and operation of near-field microscopes. Writing from the viewpoint of the scientist who wants to apply these revolutionary instruments in a laboratory setting, the authors:

• Explain the pertinent optical theory and provide a developmental history of near-field instruments
• Discuss imaging theory and its application in the near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM)
• Explore the optical behavior of elements that provide the near-field/far-field connection in an NSOM
• Provide operational how-to's for NSOMs
• Examine the theory and operation of optical tunneling microscopes with special emphasis on the photon tunneling microscope (PTM)
• Enumerate contrast mechanisms available to the near-field microscopist
• Describe the application of near-field techniques in biology, materials science, surface chemistry, and information storage

The contents of the letters published here, again show the great range of subjects that occupied Van Leeuwenhoek: from sugar candy, the shape and crystal structure of diamonds, the dissolution of silver crystals in aqua fortis to gold dust from Guinea dissolved in aqua regia and the dissolution and separation of gold, silver, and copper.

Every volume in the Series contains the texts in the original Dutch and an English translation. The great range of subjects studied by Van Leeuwenhoek is reflected in these letters: instruments to measure water, pulmonary diseases; experiments relating to the solution of gold and silver; salt crystals and grains of sand; botanical work, such as duckweed and germination of orange pips; description on protozoa. blood, spermatozoa and health and hygiene, for example and harmfulness of tea and coffee and the benefits of cleaning teeth.

This book covers the fundamental principles of fluorescence and their application to fluorescence microscopy, and presents applications to immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, and photomicrography. It provides troubleshooting guidance to guide the user through commonly encountered problems.

This practical handbook provides an introduction for all scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) users, but with complete background information concerning features and advantages of the technology. The text is without rigorous mathematical treatment of the fundamentals of STEM, yet comprehensive in its qualitative descriptions.

This practical handbook describes the basic principles and applications of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Information is given on the purpose of, and practical requirements for, the different imaging modes. Guidance is also provided on sample preparation and imaging protocols. The limitations and sensitivity of each method are discussed, imaging applications are illustrated and recent developments in the field are described.

Electron Microscopy and Analysis 1997 celebrates the centenary anniversary of the discovery of the electron by J.J. Thomson in Cambridge and the fiftieth anniversary of this distinguished Institute group. The book includes papers on the early history of electron microscopy (from P. Hawkes), the development of the scanning electron microscope at Cambridge (from K. Smith), electron energy loss spectroscopy (from L.M. Brown), imaging methods (from J. Spence), and the future of electron microscopy (from C. Humphreys). Covering a wide range of applications of advanced techniques, it discusses electron imaging, electron energy-loss and x-ray analysis, and scanning probe and electron beam microscopies. This volume is a handy reference for professionals using microscopes in all areas of physics, materials science, metallurgy, and surface science to gain an overview of developments in our understanding of materials microstructure and of advances in microscope interrogation techniques.

Immunoassay development is a multidisciplinary activity involving a wide range of skills possessed by few laboratories. This presentation of tried and tested methods should enable scientists and researchers in the pharmaceutical and related industries to more rapidly and effectively develop immunoassays upon which their work is becoming heavily dependent.; Important methods are included for preparing Lapten-protein conjugates and raising the necessary antibodies, concentrating on polyclonal sera, as well as methods for the synthesis of radio and enzyme labelled tracers. Particular attention is paid to the requirements of the regulatory authorities such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) with respect to assay validation. Further chapters deal with assay development and optimization, curve fitting and quality control procedures.

The First Book on CRS Microscopy Compared to conventional Raman microscopy, coherent Raman scattering (CRS) allows label-free imaging of living cells and tissues at video rate by enhancing the weak Raman signal through nonlinear excitation. Edited by pioneers in the field and with contributions from a distinguished team of experts, Coherent Raman Scattering Microscopy explains how CRS can be used to obtain a point-by-point chemical map of live cells and tissues. In color throughout, the book starts by establishing the foundation of CRS microscopy. It discusses the principles of nonlinear optical spectroscopy, particularly coherent Raman spectroscopy, and presents the theories of contrast mechanisms pertinent to CRS microscopy. The text then provides important technical aspects of CRS microscopy, including microscope construction, detection schemes, and data analyses. It concludes with a survey of applications that demonstrate how CRS microscopy has become a valuable tool in biomedicine. Due to its label-free, noninvasive examinations of living cells and organisms, CRS microscopy has opened up exciting prospects in biology and medicine-from the mapping of 3D distributions of small drug molecules to identifying tumors in tissues. An in-depth exploration of the theories, technology, and applications, this book shows how CRS microscopy has impacted human health and will deepen our understanding of life processes in the future.

Through its clear presentation of the basic concepts, this book quickly enables the reader to understand front-line research papers. It describes the principles of the electrophoresis of nucleic acids through agarose and polyacrylamide gels without resort to complicated protocols and recipes.

This text describes the interactions of light and the specimen in the microscope in relation to the manner in which they are used to generate contrast in the image of a specimen. Chapters cover bright-field and dark-ground techniques for both transmitted and reflected light, as well as the effects of the refractive index of the mounting medium surrounding the specimen. Subsequent chapters deal with the use of polarized light, phase and modulation contrast, interference and fluorescence and contrast technique outside the microscope.

Spectroscopy and spectrofluorometry are core techniques used throughout biology and medicine. These techniques evolve continuously and this book provides information on the latest advances in spectroscopic methods. Light Spectroscopy begins by describing the basic principles and then provides practical guidance on the wide range of current techniques, their application, and analysis of the results obtained.

This work provides detailed practical methods for specimen preparation for negative staining and cryoelectron microscopy of thinly spread samples of biological particulates. The different possibilities are emphasized and the benefits to be gained by the various techniques clearly explained. A wide range of biological applications are presented.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of antibody technology. It discusses in detail the new generation of engineered antibodies and the latest developments in immunoassay techniques and applications, as well as describing conventional methods of antibody production and use. Antibody Technology will bring the reader up-to-date with current methods, helping the reader to make informed decisions on the best approach to a given task with regard to cost, time and final application.

Recent advances in microscopy, together with developments in fibre technology and changing commercial priorities, point to the need for an up-to-date manual which details the techniques available. This book is a practical guide to the properties and characteristics of textile fibres, with advice on sampling, specimen preparation and examination procedures.

This introductory text covers all the major groups of microbes with most emphasis being placed on the bacteria and the fungi. The principles and practice of culture techniques are described, including isolation from the natural environment, methods for the safe handling of microbes in the laboratory and dealing with culture obtained from collections.

Molecular Methods in Plant Pathology covers methods in phytopathology at the molecular level, including PCR techniques, electron microscopy, tissue culturing, and the cloning of disease-resistant genes. Phytopathologists, botanists, horticulturists, and anyone working in agriculture will find this a useful reference on biophysical, biochemical, biomolecular, and biotechnological methods.

A Practical Guide to Instrumental Analysis covers basic methods of instrumental analysis, including electroanalytical techniques, optical techniques, atomic spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermoanalytical techniques, separation techniques, and flow analytical techniques. Each chapter provides a brief theoretical introduction followed by basic and special application experiments. This book is ideal for readers who need a knowledge of special techniques in order to use instrumental methods to conduct their own analytical tasks.

This book presents a summary of the application and instrumentation of cell electrophoresis. The method of making cell purification and characterization possible according to the cellular negative surface charge density is discussed, and ideas for future developments are explained. The negative electrostatic forces at cell surfaces provide information about cell-cell interaction, blood vessel sealing, cytokine actions, cell transformation, ion transport phenomena, and other biological phenomena. Recalculations of the physical principles of cell electrophoresis reveal possibilities for removing disruptive factors caused by electrical current, heat, and sedimentation. The introduction of computer technology, the performance of simultaneous two-parameter measurements, and the application of cell-friendly but current-inert buffer systems render the method more reliable and efficient.

Although many significant advances have been made in biological specimen preparation during the past 20 years no new practical guide to the techniques has been published in this time. As a result of the recent resurgence of interest in light microscopy, particularly confocal techniques, this up-to-date book should benefit both the professional and amateur alike.

Laboratory Design Handbook describes the process, motivation, constraints, challenges, opportunities, and specific design data related to the creation of a modern research laboratory. The information presented is based on a large pool of experience in the development of new and renovated laboratory buildings for universities, teaching hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, start-up biotechnology companies, and other types of industrial technology.

The Stannic Oxide Gas Sensor presents a comprehensive overview of the background science and technology of the subject, including practical information on its applications and the electronic circuits with which it is associated. The book explains the chemistry of the device and covers typical methods of fabrication. Sensitivity and selectivity are addressed, and the problems of drift with ambient temperature, relative humidity, and time are fully discussed.
The book also presents examples of industrial, commercial, and domestic applications. It explains the design of appropriate electronic circuits and describes methods for testing and characterizing sensors. Advantages and disadvantages of sensors are assessed as well.

Praise for the First Edition "essential reading for any physical scientist who is interested in performing biological research." Contemporary Physics "an ambitious text.... Each chapter contains protocols and the conceptual reasoning behind them, which is often useful to physicists performing biological experiments for the first time." -Physics Today This fully updated and expanded text is the best starting point for any student or researcher in the physical sciences to gain firm grounding in the techniques employed in molecular biophysics and quantitative biology. It includes brand new chapters on gene expression techniques, advanced techniques in biological light microscopy (super-resolution, two-photon, and fluorescence lifetime imaging), holography, and gold nanoparticles used in medicine. The author shares invaluable practical tips and insider's knowledge to simplify potentially confusing techniques. The reader is guided through easy-to-follow examples carried out from start to finish with practical tips and insider's knowledge. The emphasis is on building comfort with getting hands "wet" with basic methods and finally understanding when and how to apply or adapt them to address different questions. Jay L. Nadeau is a scientific researcher and head of the Biomedical Engineering in Advanced Applications of Quantum, Oscillatory, and Nanotechnological Systems (BEAAQONS) lab at Caltech and was previously associate professor of biomedical engineering and physics at McGill University.

As the selection of material for particular engineering properties becomes increasingly important in keeping costs down, methods for evaluating material properties also become more relevant. One such method examines the geometry of grain boundaries, which reveals much about the properties of the material.
Studying material properties from their geometrical measurements, The Measurement of Grain Boundary Geometry provides a framework for a specialized application of electron microscopy for metals and alloys and, by extension, for ceramics, minerals, and semiconductors. The book presents an overview of the developments in the theory of grain boundary geometry and its practical applications in material engineering. It also covers the tunneling electron microscope (TEM), experimental aspects of data collection, data processing, and examples from actual investigations. Each step of the analysis process is clearly described, from data collection through processing, analysis, representation, and display to applications. The book also includes a glossary of terms.
Exploring both the experimental and analytical aspects of the subject, this practical reference guide is essential for researchers and students involved in material properties, whether in physics, materials science, metallurgy, or physical chemistry.

Paul Feyeraband famously asked, what's so great about science? One answer is that it has been surprisingly successful in getting things right about the natural world, more successful than non-scientific or pre-scientific systems, religion or philosophy. Science has been able to formulate theories that have successfully predicted novel observations. It has produced theories about parts of reality that were not observable or accessible at the time those theories were first advanced, but the claims about those inaccessible areas have since turned out to be true. And science has, on occasion, advanced on more or less a priori grounds theories that subsequently turned out to be highly empirically successful. In this book the philosopher of science, John Wright delves deep into science's methodology to offer an explanation for this remarkable success story.

This book provides an introduction to two important aspects of modern bioch- istry, molecular biology, and biophysics: computer simulation and data analysis. My aim is to introduce the tools that will enable students to learn and use some f- damental methods to construct quantitative models of biological mechanisms, both deterministicandwithsomeelementsofrandomness;tolearnhowconceptsofpr- ability can help to understand important features of DNA sequences; and to apply a useful set of statistical methods to analysis of experimental data. The availability of very capable but inexpensive personal computers and software makes it possible to do such work at a much higher level, but in a much easier way, than ever before. TheExecutiveSummaryofthein?uential2003reportfromtheNationalAcademy of Sciences, "BIO 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future - search Biologists" [12], begins The interplay of the recombinant DNA, instrumentation, and digital revolutions has p- foundly transformed biological research. The con?uence of these three innovations has led to important discoveries, such as the mapping of the human genome. How biologists design, perform, and analyze experiments is changing swiftly. Biological concepts and models are becoming more quantitative, and biological research has become critically dependent on concepts and methods drawn from other scienti?c disciplines. The connections between the biological sciences and the physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science are rapidly becoming deeper and more extensive.