Phillips XL30 Scanning Electron Microscope – Adelaide Microscopy – University of Adelaide.
I am presently funded by an Australian Biological Resources Study Grant (ABRS) to study the “Folliculinid ciliates of Coobowie Marine Park Sanctuary”. The grant supports my work at the Adelaide Microscopy Centre, which is housed in the Medical School South in Adelaide. The centre has a wide range of optical and electron microscopes, and importantly, staff, who maintain the facility and train and support clients of the centre. I have undergone training and am now using the XL 30 SEM and Quanta 450 SEM environmental scanning electron microscope.
This post is about Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) using the Phillips XL 30 SEM at Adelaide Microscopy. I am most grateful to my trainer and friend Lynnette Waterhouse who is an expert in the field, and a great and patient teacher.
Plate 1: Lorica of a new Folliculinid species being described by J.Douglas.Note the ring of “cement” attaching
the lorica to the coverslip. Fixed in Glutaraldehyde and Osmium tetroxide and splattered with platinum as were images 2 and 3.
PLATE 2: Another possible new species being described. Lorica attached to Zostera sea grass, note long threads
which are cyanobacteria.
PLATE 3: Part of the lorica surface at high resolution x50,000.