#electron microscopy

Tiny sense organs on the tip of the antenna of a Thanatophilus sinuatus beetle.

British journal of entomology and natural history. August 1988.

AI turns electron microscopy into materials insights in minutes

An electron microscopy image can capture atoms arranged in a crystal lattice or defects threading through a semiconductor material, but turning that image into materials insight can take weeks of careful analysis. Now, an autonomous artificial intelligence platform developed at Cornell can do that work in minutes. The EMSeek platform, reported April 1 in Science Advances, streamlines materials research by identifying key features in a microscopy image, determining the crystal structure, predicting material properties, comparing results with existing scientific literature, and generating a report within a single, integrated workflow. "Electron microscopy produces incredibly rich information, but the bottleneck is often turning those images into usable scientific understanding," said corresponding author Fengqi You, the Roxanne E. and Michael J. Zak Professor in Energy Systems at the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering. You is also co-director of the Cornell University AI for Science Institute.

Nudge Theory

We all respond differently to a nudge or a kick. So do our cells, reacting to physical forces from neighbouring cells and structures in unique ways that are hard to predict. To better understand this mechanotransduction – how cells convert physical forces to biological signals – researchers have developed a new platform for precise prodding. Tiny magnetic protrusions embedded on a soft hydrogel surface act as pillars for cells to grow on and around (pictured). When the researchers apply a magnetic field, the pillars bend, tugging or pushing on the cells. The team can then measure how cells respond to various degrees of pressure, observing in real time how dynamic forces impact behaviour. Cells grown among these protrusions adopted different shapes from those grown on flat surfaces, demonstrating a platform that could eventually feed into better tissue engineering and disease modelling.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Roel Kooi and colleagues

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Advanced Health Care Materials, February 2026

Have you ever seen the incredible natural architecture of opals? This SEM image shows the unique microscopic structure that gives opals their amazing play of colours. The silica spheres inside the opal are arranged in a very regular, ordered pattern. Because of this structure, they interact with light specially, much like a photonic crystal (a material that can control light flow). This interaction causes opals to show those beautiful flashes of color, known as "play-of-color." This fascinating microstructure makes opals so special in nature and jewelry. Opal Structure – LVEM 5, SEM