Re: in-situ SEM-observation

To: Multiple recipients of list HERB <HERB@TREARN.BITNET>
Subject: Re: in-situ SEM-observation
From: International Microfaces <0006368902@mcimail.com> <HERB@TREARN.BITNET>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 1994 18:27:00 EST

>Keywords: uncoated organic material in scanning electron microscopy

>My name is Michael Schlag. I have a botanist's training and been working in
>electron
>microscopy, mainly transmission EM.

>Recently, I have taken on a part-time job at the Vienna-based Austrian Wood
>Research Institute. There my colleagues and I are embarking on in-situ
>SEM-observation of deformation and breaking processes of wood.

>To that end we have acquired a bending unit for SEM ("Biege-Modul", Fa. RAITH,
>Germany). As is generally know, observing organic matter in the SEM requires
>coating the objekt with a conductive film, mostly gold. Breaking such material,
>however, automatically exposes uncoated surfaces to the electron beam and leads
>to
>strong electric charging even at a low acceleration voltage (1-3 KV) making
>observation and documentation impossible.

>Has anybody got an idea how we could solve this problem? We would be very
>grateful
>for every tip we get!
Michael,

The following information is from _The Persecution and Trial of Gaston
Naessens_ by Christopher Bird (Coauthor of _The Secret Life of Plants_)
Published by HJ Kramer Inc., Tiburon, CA 94920:

If this is of interest to you let me know and I can give you more details.

John Zullo
jszullo@mcimail.com

Gaston Naessens states that they have "perfected an instrument for
microscopic observation, which we have called the _Somatoscope_. The
primary quality of this apparatus is that it permits the observation of
live elements and can follow the polymorphism to enlargements attaining
30,000 X with a resolution on the order of 150 angstroms."