In this report, atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanolithography and electrochemical anodic oxidation using bias-assisted lithography are used to created oxide patterns on the surface of a silicon substrate. Non-contact mode imaging was conducted after the lithography process to confirm the successful fabrication of oxide patterns on the surface as well as to distinguish the surface difference between the oxide layers and silicon substrate. With only a few seconds of run time, oxide patterns as narrow as 35 nm in width were created illustrating that the bias mode in the Park Scientific SmartLitho software can be used to generate well-defined nanoscale patterns and features.

Researchers in the Physics Department of St. Olaf College are using a uniquely designed, integrated nanoindenter-quartz microbalance apparatus to bridge the gap between the fundamental science of friction and the engineering of practical micromechanical systems. This level of micro-research requires extreme stability for the microbalance instrumentation. Since 2001, the lab has used negative-stiffness vibration isolation to achieve a high level of isolation in multiple directions, custom tailoring resonant frequencies to 0.5 Hz vertically and horizontally.

The spatial organization of chromatin has become recognized as a major factor in the regulation of gene expression. While chromosome conformation capture techniques, such as high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), have advanced our understanding of the role of 3D organization of chromatin on chromosomal function, Hi-C data are typically ensemble in nature and relies on intense computational methods to derive genomic structural information. The field is beginning to shift in recognizing the potential value of imaging methods to study spatial organization of chromatin. Imaging allows acquisition and analysis at the individual cell level while providing direct visualization and analysis of 3D chromatin organization. This feature will highlight how single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) using the Bruker Vutara SMLM system in conjunction with sequential labeling via microfluidics is revolutionizing our understanding of nuclear spatial organization and its role in regulation of gene function.

The Cyanidiophyceae are a class of unicellular red algae that live in environments at the extremes of temperature, pH, salt, and heavy metal concentrations. These photosynthetic organisms have been able to occupy these rather unusual niches by acquiring a variety of genes from extremophilic prokaryotes and/or viruses via the process of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Elucidating how the proteins encoded by these genes integrate into existing metabolic systems is crucial to understanding and evaluating the significance of HGT in eukaryotes and its role in conferring adaptive traits. This article addresses the fundamentals of HGT in model red algae, its function as a driver of evolution across the web of life with a focus on eukaryotes, and summarizes ongoing work and the future directions of this field.

Today, researchers have a number of powerful image processing methods at hand that have the potential to make comparably simple and inexpensive widefield microscope systems more powerful and versatile. These techniques can enable new insights into biological samples and allow new discoveries, so long as their limitations and pitfalls are known.

Dynamic imaging—acquiring images and simultaneously recording relevant sensor parameters—is a powerful way to extend the information and insight available over and above optical microscopy. It improves understanding and correlates how properties of materials alter with, for example, changing temperature, pressure, humidity, tensile forces, shear stress, or aging. The basics of an imaging setup are the microscope, a relevant stage, a camera of appropriate performance, and suitable software to acquire, synchronize, and analyze the images and data collected. However, many factors need to be considered and optimized to ensure reliable experiments. These include basic features of the microscope—objective resolution and magnification, for example, as well as the accuracy and reproducibility of the stage, the camera format, dynamic range, and resolution. In this tutorial, we discuss the components of a dynamic data and image capture system and present examples where researchers have used this approach to better understand their materials.