Having some knowledge of microscope history can be beneficial to understanding and appreciating specific configurations and components, and how they produce an optimal image. For example, practically all laboratory microscopes use achromatic objectives to partly compensate for chromatic aberration. For high-quality imaging, fluorescence microscopy, and photomicroscopy, fluorite and apochromatic objectives are used to largely overcome…

Previously, I wrote about the different ways to use scientific illustration to communicate research. In this article, I will introduce the technical aspects of digital images and the most common image file types that scientists will encounter when preparing images for publication. Raster Versus Vector Digital images are classified based on how information is stored.…

Working late nights or weekends in the lab—we’ve all been there. Why isn’t your cell culture considerate enough to get to exponential phase during normal business hours, anyway? Maybe you just need utter peace and quiet while you pipette hundreds of wells worth of stinky beta-mercaptoethanol. Or perhaps you’re using your wealth of microbiology knowledge…