Engaging Smithsonian Objects through Science, History, and the Arts ed. by Mary Jo Arnoldi

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 618-620
Author(s):  
Barbara Maria Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Science History ◽  
The Arts

Electron Microscopy in Molecular Biology

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 2-3
Author(s):  
Cecil E. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Noise Level ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Material Structure ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Shadow Casting ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Very High

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.

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