The NIC features a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) built by FEI and installed in the NIC in 2005. Its main use in the NIC is to visualize small structures (e.g. young embryos, epidermal surfaces, meristems, pollen, or trichomes) at high resolution without the need for fixation.
The FEI Quanta 200 has the capability to image at either high vacuum for traditionally fixed samples, or at relatively low vacuum (ESEM mode) for hydrated fresh biological tissues. Our ESEM also has a temperature-controlled stage for imaging at a range of temperatures, plus the capability of adjusting the chamber humidity to maintain tissue quality during imaging.
