Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) reveals the morphological details where light microscopy is not sufficient. It is routinely used for applications such as quick classification of small organisms based on their fine morphology or identification of plants by examining their pollen in environmental samples.
Various detectors deliver information about the sample’s topography, material contrast and/or chemical composition. The 2D imaging capability of almost any SEM can be expanded to a 3rd dimension with specialized software or hardware. Volume SEM methods like array tomography or serial block face-SEM provide insights into biological material in high resolution that allows researchers to comprehensively understand the internal structure and functioning of biological systems in 3D. This allows us to understand the complex structural organization of cells, tissues, organs and organisms, and relationships over a large distance, such as animal connectomes.
TESCAN microscopes are operated using Essence™ software which has multiple safety features that allow both novice and skilled users to work efficiently.
