Wilson's Websites

Current developments in light and electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and image-recording techniques are harnessing the power of digital cameras and image-processing equipment to automate the capture, processing, and analysis of images. To perform specific image-analysis tasks, however, a range of microscopes, digital cameras, and computer-based hardware and software is now being offered by numerous manufacturers. This month, Wilson's Websites explores some of the on-line guides that can help you select equipment to meet specific microscopy requirements.

MICROSCOPIAL IMAGING
www.microscopy.com
The Microscopy Society of America (MSA; Chicago, IL), a nonprofit organization, promotes the science and practice of imaging, analysis, and diffraction techniques in biological, materials, medical, and physical sciences. On the society's site, you'll find information about the MSA, a link to the society's publication Microscopy and Microanalysis, a list of future conferences, and links to other microscopy and microanalysis sites on the Web.

ADVANCED RESEARCH
www.mcs.net/~ars
Advanced Research Systems (St. Charles, IL) provides repair and maintenance for scanning-electron-microscopy systems. On its site, the company provides a listing of general-science resources, as well as listings to sites on microscopy, nanotechnology, and spectroscopy. In addition, there are downloadable software programs, a compendium of analytical techniques, and product literature.

ON-LINE IMAGING
www.microscopy-online.com
Microscopy Online, a Web resource designed specifically for microscopists, provides the commercial and noncommercial microscopy communities with a forum for information exchange. On this site, a keyword-searchable buyers guide enables you to locate a particular microscopy-related product or service from a database of vendors. In addition, an online bulletin board provides a globally accessible forum for microscopists to exchange information.

LIBRARY FACILITIES
www.ou.edu/research/electron/www-vl
Sponsored by the Samuel Roberts Electron Microscopy Laboratory and the University of Oklahoma, the WWW Virtual Library in Microscopy covers all aspects of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and other forms of microscopy. Reference sites, laboratories, organizations, equipment, technology, applications, and topics can be viewed individually or as part of a long list.

ADVANCED MICROSCOPY
dept.kent.edu/projects/cell
Written by Douglas Kline, associate professor in the department of biological sciences at Kent State University (Kent, OH), Advanced Microscopy for the Teaching Laboratory provides methods and procedures for using fluorescence and video microscopy in cell-biology laboratories. Topics include microscopy and imaging, procedures for cell preparation, recipes for media and fluorescent probes, and research projects using microscopy and imaging.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
www.rms.org.uk
The Royal Microscopical Society in the United Kingdom serves the needs of its members in the academic and industrial worlds by promoting both theory and practical applications. On this Web site, you'll find links to publications, companies, universities, and departments involved with microscopy, as well as sections on cell biology and histochemistry, electron microscopy, and light microscopy.