Scientific discovery with Antonio Guillén and Motic Europe

We start an adventure of scientific discovery with Antonio Guillén and the Estación Biológica Internacional, whose mission is to focus on the conservation and improvement of diverse natural spaces, especially aquatic ecosystems, by applying technological innovation, environmental education and the study of biodiversity. 

To safeguard its independence and ethical principles, the EBI's habitat and species research and conservation work is financed from its own ecotourism projects in cooperation with international volunteer actions.

Following the adherence of the EBI to the principles and philosophy of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, with total economic-political independence and thanks to the technical specialization of its collaborators, it has developed and financed various projects for the conservation of habitats and species in the four protected.

Image 1. Duero-Douro International Biological Station (EBI) and its 

representatives in Spain (Europarques Hispano-Lusos SRL) and Portugal 

(Centro de Turismo Ambiental Luso-Espanhol Lda. https://www.europarques.com/en

Dr. Antonio Guillén, biologist and scientific director of the EBI, will open the door to his research under the extraordinary microscopic eye. Guillén altruistically coordinates a multidisciplinary team of volunteers, collaborators and scientific researchers of different nationalities. Specializing in aquatic ecosystems, he directs the field work on board the EBI Hydrographic Vessels in Arribes del Duero, Douro Internacional and Lago de Sanabria, the Microscopic World of Virtual Biodiversity gallery and the Water Project with more than 10 million followers worldwide.

Image 2. S.O.S. LAGO DE SANABRIA, BRAZADAS DE DAPHNIA. 

Cristina, Genis & Javier, April 2016. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) ://flic.kr/p/HJ7iA1

Very soon you will be able to see some of the most fascinating samples.

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Thyroid Diseases: Colloid goiter

Colloid goiter is a benign lesion of the thyroid gland which is defined as thyroid enlargement without accompanying disturbance in thyroid function. 

This is a common pathology, frequently found in clinical practice during a physical or ultrasound examination.

Therefore, the Colloid goiter of the thyroid is a benign growth. Nodular formations can be multiple or single instances. Formation is formed when the outflow of a colloidal substance from the follicles is disrupted. Thyroid hormones are produced in this liquid substance.

The tissue we see in the images is always recognizable, because there is nothing else in the body that looks like this. Follicles surrounded by an epithelial lining filled with protein material called colloid.

Fig 1. - Colloid goiter, Thyroid c.s. | Motic BA40E PlanApo 10X | 

Moticam S12, ROI | Image credit: Willem Cramer

Most normal thyroid glands have follicles that are fairly uniform in size with some variation. They don't get as big as some in the images. If the follicles are so enlarged by the colloid, you can speak of colloid goiter. What is the definition of the word goiter. This word is synonymous with an enlarged thyroid gland, enlarged for any reason. This does not automatically mean that the thyroid gland is overactive or neoplastic.

Fig 2. - Colloid goiter, Thyroid c.s. | Motic BA40E PlanApo 40X | 

Moticam S12, ROI | Image credit: Willem Cramer

If the affected thyroid can also be clinically associated with hyperthyroidism, which is an overproduction of thyroid hormones, then it could be a case of Graves' disease.

The photos show that the enlarged follicles are lined with relatively cube-shaped follicular or epithelial cells.

Sample: Colloid goiter, Thyroid c.s. Motic BA410E PlanApo 40X | Moticam S12 ROI. With thanks to Herbert Spoon, Doctor of Medicine.

Note: the prepared slide, a collector’s item, is 60 years old.

© willemsmicroscope.com

Drinking Nectar

We all know about the importance of honey bees to our planet, but perhaps we are not aware of the consequences of their extinction. 

As pollinators, they are fundamental for the health of ecosystems and food security. They help maintain biodiversity and ensure the production of nutritious food. We are going to tell you about the honey bee mouthparts and how these work to extract the nectar. 

Fig 1. - Bee Sipping Nectar on Flower during Daytime. 

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.

Looking at the photo, we see five major mouthparts sticking out. In the middle is the Glossa, the honey bee tongue. The Glossa is hairy and used to drink nectar. It is flanked by sensory devices so-called Labial Palpi, which are necessary for tasting and touching. On the outside, we see the so-called Galeae, which forms a tube with the labial palpi already mentioned and together allows honey bees to suck up nectar.

Fig 2. - Honeybee mouth parts | Motic BA40E PlanApo 10X | 

Moticam ProS5 Plus, EasyStitch Pro | Image credit: Willem Cramer

Nectar is a sweet liquid, which mainly consists of fructose, glucose and sucrose. Nectar is often deep in the corolla (the whole of petals). The bee's specialized mouthparts form a complex set. Depending on the family, genus or species, it is more or less long and sharp. The construction of the mouthparts of the bees evolved at the same time as the depth and shape of the corollas. The diversity of the bee tongues is related to the diversity of the flower shapes. Honey bees are bees with long tongues, but they don't have as long tongues as butterflies or hummingbirds. 

The ingestion of liquid food by bees is based on the mechanism of 'viscous dipping'. The Glossa is stretched out and dipped into the nectar. At this stage, the hairs on the Glossa stand up asynchronously and capture the nectar. The erectable hairs can increase the ability to collect nectar. 

Then, when covered with nectar, the glossa retracts to a tube formed from Galeae and Labial Palpi. The nectar is sucked then into the Pharynx. There are ridges on the inner wall of the Galeae, that can reduce friction while drinking. Honey bees can absorb about 1.8 microliters of diluted nectar per second, depending on the concentration and viscosity of the nectar. The mouthparts contain sensory organs that facilitate food intake.

Visit the United Nations website and find out the global actions on World Bee Day.  

Sample: Honeybee mouth parts | Motic BA40E PlanApo 10X | Moticam ProS5 Plus, EasyStitch Pro

© willemsmicroscope.com 

Digital Pathology and AI join forces

“Artificial intelligence” generated leukemia blast cells through pre-annotated digital images by using the Motic Infinity 60 at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.

This has enabled the creation of large image databanks of blood cells, allowing the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) studies in blood cell classification.

Image 1. (A) Blood cells in myeloid leukemia stained with Ehrlich's triple stain, as seen under a microscope. Watercolor after A. Goodall, 1912. Wellcome Collection. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dtfntjgs/images?id=h5k9mkax. (B and C) Leukemic blasts in the background of red cells. (Wright stain, 80× objective, Motic EasyScan Infinity 60). (D–F) Artificial Intelligence generated leukemic blasts and red blood cells using the StyleSwin generative adversarial network (GAN) algorithm. https://github.com/microsoft/StyleSwin.

A total of 21.739 pre-annotated digital images derived from peripheral blood films of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (Wright stain, 80x objective, MoticEasyScan Infinity 60) were used in the training and evaluation process. 

AI holds great promise in medicine due to its ability to effortlessly assimilate, integrate, and generate vast amounts of clinical data. However, AI needs suitable digital scanners for the digitalization of samples such as the Motic Infinity 60 of the MoticEasyScan series to facilitate the training tasks that will make its enhancement possible.

Read the article here

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by a parasite. This parasite is transmitted by a vector, namely sand flies. 

There are many types of Leishmania. Leishmania infantum is a species that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, where it is transferred from dogs or rats to humans by sand flies. Leishmaniasis is thus a zoonosis. Some Leishmania species are transferred from humans to humans by sand flies, for example in India. The parasites can also be transmitted through blood transfusions and, in dogs, through fighting wounds with blood-blood contact.

Fig 2. - Leishmania donovani. Motic B410E PlanApo 100X o.i. Moticam S12. 

Image credit: Willem Cramer

The symptoms in humans depend on the severity of the infection and the type of Leishmania. The syndromes that can occur are at the cutaneous (the skin), mucocutaneous (the skin and mucous membranes) or visceral (the intestines) level.

Fig 2. - Leishmania donovani. Motic B410E PlanApo 100X o.i. Moticam S12. 

Image credit: Willem Cramer

• With the cutaneous form, an ulcer develops where the infected sand fly stings. Several ulcers can develop at the same time, at the different stinging spots. The sores can disappear spontaneously over months or years, but can leave severe scars.

• With the mucocutaneous form, ulcers develop on the mucous membranes of the mouth or nose, for example, and can deform the entire face.

• In the visceral form, an enlargement of the spleen occurs first and later also of the liver. Anemia, a decrease in the number of white blood cells, bleeding in the mucous membranes and pigmentation of the skin can also occur. Patients suffer from weight loss, long-lasting fever with alternating fever peaks, general malaise, and sometimes diarrhea or cough. The visceral form can be lethal without treatment, but can also be latent or cause only mild phenomena, depending on the host's resistance. The incubation period can vary from 10 days to several years, on average it takes 2 to 6 months from the bite of the sand fly to the onset of symptoms. Often secondary infections occur.

There is no vaccine against Leishmaniasis, neither for animals nor for humans. That is why it is important to protect humans and animals against the sand flies that are mainly active around dusk. Protective clothing, insect repellent and mosquito nets can help keep the flies at bay. There are special collars with insecticides for dogs. The sand flies are less often present indoors and insecticides can also be used. Leishmaniasis is common in tropical regions, as well as in countries around the Mediterranean.

Fig 3. - Leishmania donovani. Motic B410E PlanApo 100X o.i. Moticam S12. 

Image credit: Willem Cramer

In the photos, amastigotes are indicated with an arrow. Amastigotes are the parasites forms that persist in the infected host; they infect cells recruited to lesions and disseminate the infection to secondary sites.

Sample: Leishmania donovani viewed through Motic B410E PlanApo 100X o.i. Recorded with Moticam S12.  With thanks to Cees Koopman veterinarian.

© willemsmicroscope.com

Printings techniques on World Design Day 2023

The 27th of April is World Design Day, an initiative that recognizes how design makes everyday life both beautiful and meaningful. 

Printing techniques are an imprescriptible area in the field of design, and thanks to microscopy we can discover old and new techniques from the smallest details.

The beginnings of World Design Day came from Kim Paulsen, V.P. of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ico-D), and the first edition was held in 1995, but it was named World Graphics Day then. 

Today we are going to show you how the history of graphic design and printing techniques can be discovered by looking under a microscope. There are two microscopically observed samples of graphic design products, such as an antique stamp and a brochure of a high-end product, both were printed with different techniques, which we can learn about today, thanks to microscopic observation.

Old stamp printing techniques from a century ago

Here we see a vintage Dutch jubilee stamp of Queen Wilhelmina, 7 1/2 cents 1923 carmine. This stamp was issued to commemorate the Queen’s 25th anniversary of her reign from 1898 till 1923. 

The basis for the image of her portrait on this stamp is a copper engraving. The stamps were printed with copper plates with the printing ink being rolled into the grooves of the engraving.

Fig 1. - Old stamp. Image credit: Willem Cramer

During pressing of the stamps, the paper absorbs the ink from the grooves of the engraving. In the resulting short video, it is easy to recognize how the printing ink is clearly on top of the paper. This stamp was printed on sheets of 100 pieces. 

Fig 2. - Old stamp. Image credit: Willem Cramer

Fig 3. - Old stamp. Image credit: Willem Cramer

Produced with Motic equipment:

Motic SMZ-171, stereomicroscope

Moticam ProS5 Lite camera

With thanks to Rijk Koster, stamp collector.

Mayfly larva or Cloeon dipterum

In our geographical area, especially in spring, nature is busy creating new life, such as these Mayfly larvas which will become adult insects in a few months.

Fig 1. - Mayfly adult. Mayfly, Leaf, Dew Image. Pixabay.com

Mayflies are aquatic insects belonging to the order Ephemeroptera. This order is part of an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies. Over 3,000 species of mayfly are known worldwide, grouped into over 400 genera in 42 families. 

In these images, you are seeing Mayfly larvae, which have a slender and soft-body like the adult insects. They do not have wings but have a series of leaf-like or feathery external gills attached along the sides or to the upper rear part of the abdomen. In the video, you can see them fluttering up and down. Their eyes are smaller than those of the adult insects.

Fig 2. - Mayfly larva or Cloeon dipterum. Motic SMZ-171

Moticam 1080. Image credit: Willem Cramer

As mentioned, adult mayflies are slender, soft-bodied, with four membranous, extensively veined wings held upright and together (like a butterfly). The forewings are much longer and often overlap the hindwings.

Mayflies play an important role in aquatic ecosystems, eating algae and other small objects and being eaten by larger animals. As winged adults, mayflies only live for a few days. The only function of the adult is reproduction. Their swarms often cause a feeding frenzy among fish.

Mayflies are the only insect to have two "mature" molts. They begin life as eggs that are laid on the surface of the water and sink to the bottom. The larvae of mayflies crawl around rocks and vegetation. After months or years of growth (depending on the species), they float to the surface and molt into a winged but sexually immature subadult. Often another molt occurs within hours and the final stage emerges - the reproductive adults who live for only days or hours.

Fig 3. - Mayfly larva or Cloeon dipterum. Motic SMZ-171

Moticam 1080. Image credit: Willem Cramer

In places where mayflies synchronize their maturation and mating cycles, appearing in swarms, they also usually cause fish to gather, and anglers create fly baits to resemble adult mayflies.

All life stages of mayflies are favorite foods for fish such as trout, perch and many others, as well as smaller aquatic predators in the food chain. Adult mayflies are also eaten by terrestrial predators such as spiders and birds.

Sample: Mayfly larva or Cloeon dipterum. Motic SMZ-171 Recorded with Moticam S12. 

Spinel Fluorescence

Vibrant colors of a Spinel stone from Cambodia.

With the aid of a Motic microscope with fluorescence attachment, using a DAPI lp filter set, the available Spinel stones fluoresced with a weak red light under UV light, at an excitation wavelength of 375 nm.

Fig 1. - Spinel from Cambodja. Motic AE31E Plan Fluar 5X.

Moticam S12. Image credit: Willem Cramer

The fluorescence of Spinel was studied as early as 1887 by De Boisbaudran who found a red glow in most specimens and some green fluorescence in a few. Crookes plotted in 1887 the red fluorescence spectra of Spinel and pointed out the particular sharp band at about 690 nm.

The general chemical formula of Spinel is MgAl2O4. It belongs to the oxides and hydroxides family. The most common fluorescence activators for Spinel are Cr3+ and Mn2+. Peaks in the spectrum are:

Cr3+ : lines at 676 (675), 686 (685), 698 (697), 708 (707), 712, 718 (717) nm

Mn2+ : broad band peaking at 550-612 nm

Due to the rough shape of the available small and rough Spinel stones, it was necessary to take a large series of photos and stack them in order to visualize the surface structure. The stones were too big in size to put them under an upright fluorescence microscope. However, the Motic inverted microscope AE31E came in handy here. Although fluorescence observed with the naked eye was very weak, the Moticam S12 coped well with the low light conditions.

Sample: Spinel from Cambodja viewed through Motic AE31E Plan Fluar 5X. Recorded with Moticam S12. 

© willemsmicroscope.com

Sedum Telephium or Orpine

Details in the epidermis of the marvelous plant

Sedum Telephium is an herbaceous perennial plant from the Sedum genus, in flower from July to August and the seeds ripen from August to September. The Plants grow to form clumps providing good ground cover during the growing season. 

Photo: Bff / Wikimedia Commons

Also known as Orpine, it tolerates drought and shade. However, dry or moist soil are good conditions for them. Late in the season, Orpine delivers delightful clusters of purple flowers providing a great source of nectar for the Bees.  

In this simple handmade coupe of the epidermis of a leaf of the Sedum telephium or orpine, a few special things can be seen for which the 'Wageningen University & Research' (WUR) in the Netherlands was consulted.

The transport through the trans-vacuolar cytoplasmic wires is very nice to see.

At detail A:

Fig. 1 - Sedum Telephium leaf epidermis. Motic Panthera U Plan UC 60X.

Moticam 1080. Image credit: Willem Cramer

As for the mysterious spheres; these are so beautifully arranged in a circle that at first sight, it looks like a kind of algae. But if we look more closely, the nucleus seems to lie in the middle of it. Since these epidermis cells mainly consist of vacuoles and there is little space for cytoplasm, you often see that the cytoplasm, and thus the organelles, is concentrated around the nucleus. That is why they may be plastids and because they are green, chloroplasts.

At detail B:

Fig. 2 - Sedum Telephium leaf epidermis. Motic Panthera U Plan UC 60X.

Moticam 1080. Image credit: Willem Cramer

These are beautiful, round chloroplasts. Sometimes those in the guard cells of the stomata can grow quite large.

With thanks to Peter van Gisbergen PhD, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands.

Sample: Sedum Telephium leaf epidermis viewed through Motic Panthera U Plan UC 60X. Recorded with Moticam 1080. 

© willemsmicroscope.com

The Pacinian Bodies

It records vibrations

Pacinian bodies are rapidly adapting receptors that detect gross pressure changes and vibrations in the skin.

The Pacinian bodies (corpuscles) which are part of the nervous system, consist of 20 to 70 layers of fibroblasts, which form concentric spheres, between which there are layers of liquid and thin collagen fibers. 

Fig. 1 - Pacinian corpuscle c.s. Motic AE31E PlanApo 20X.

Moticam 10+. Image credit: Willem Cramer

Fig. 2 - Pacinian corpuscle c.s. Motic AE31E PlanApo 40X.

Moticam 10+. Image credit: Willem Cramer

A body can be up to 1 mm in size. In a cross-section, such a body looks like the cut surface of a sliced onion. Central is a dendrite. A Pacinian body registers vibrations of 50-700 Hz. They are numerous in, for instance, the dermis of the fingers.

• Fibroblasts ensure tissue retention. The largest function is the production of collagen.
• Collagen fibers are responsible for the firmness and resilience of tissue.
• A dendrite is a branched extension of a nerve cell.

Sample: Pacinian corpuscle viewed through Motic AE31E PlanApo 20X and 40X. Recorded with Moticam 10+. 

© willemsmicroscope.com