Microscopy Centre

The Faculty of Life Sciences operates a state-of-the-art microscopy centre. It is available for research and teaching purposes and covers a wide range of techniques, from light microscopy to electron microscopy.

Conventional light microscopy
Digital 3D light microscopy
Atomic force microscopy (AFM), which can be combined with inverted light microscopy
Field-emission electron microscopy (FE) with EDX analysis and a variable pressure system
Combined microscopy with a high-speed video system (up to 230,000 frames per second)
Goniometry for the analysis of solid–liquid interactions
Sample preparation for electron microscopy: critical-point dryer, sputter coater and cryo-freezing unit

Funded by the German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Major Equipment Programme. As part of this programme, funding is being provided for a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to establish the Centre for Microscopy under the direction of Prof. Dr Kerstin Koch.

The FE-REM is primarily used within the Faculty of Life Sciences and is employed for the surface and interfacial analysis of biological and non-biological samples. With a resolution ranging from a few nanometres to several hundred micrometres, it bridges the gap between atomic force microscopy and three-dimensional digital light microscopy.

The FE-REM is used, amongst other things, for:

Analysis of biomaterials, in particular nano- and microstructural analyses
Studies of the molecular architecture of plant wax crystals
Structural analyses of isolated plant cuticles
Characterisation of interfacial interactions, e.g. the wetting of superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces
Determination of structural parameters for modelling
Molecular self-assembly
Surface analysis and quality studies of various materials
Elemental analysis (EDX) in materials science and agricultural science