That’s the problem that 8th (now 9th) grade students at Concord-Carlisle Middle School, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and JEOL USA, set out to solve when they responded to a NASA challenge for the development of innovative technologies to support human colonization of Mars by 2050.

Traditional SEM instruments have provided us with unprecedented details of every surface you can think of, from whole insects to crystals and bacteria, but can be complex to use, requiring specialist knowledge, and also require a large dedicated space. The dawn and advancement of compact and user-friendly benchtop SEMs however is changing this picture.

Entitled “Nano Nemo on the Water,” entry was selected as the winner of the Grand Prize SEM Image category in JEOL’s image contest for 2017.

Marine Science research yields winning SEM image

Cian has submitted 3 images that are all relevant to platinum nanostructures. We thought that the patterns that they form were interesting, so we asked the PhD candidate about his work with platinum.

A special project for Concord Middle School students

Research Scientists and Middle School Students Join Forces to Investigate Mechanical Properties of Spider Web

What makes the difference between a good SEM image and a stellar one? Imaging samples at the appropriate conditions, and that often means at very low accelerating voltage (low kV). It's time to give it a try!

Typical New England beach sand differs in color from light and dark grey to medium tan based on its common mineralogy, but at Plum Island Beach there are swatches of purple sand that appear haphazardly as one walks along the shore.