Don't forget to cast your vote in the MSA 2022 Elections

The Microscopy Society of America is in the process of the annual election of its leadership. As an MSA Member, this is your opportunity to have an impact on the future of your Society. Each candidate has submitted a brief bio, along with their credentials and their MSA Platform Statement, which can be found by visiting: MSA Elections. Members must have an active membership and log in to the Members Portal on the MSA website to view the ballot and cast their vote. Please take a moment to review this information carefully. The voting process should take less than five minutes to complete. Be sure to cast your vote no later than December 15, 2021. Election ballots will not be counted unless submitted by this date.

Kenneth H. Downing Memorial Postdoctoral Scholarship Award

The Kenneth H. Downing Post-Doctoral Scholarship Award was created in honor of Professor Ken Downing, an MSA Past-President, MSA Fellow, and MSA Distinguished Scientist. The scholarship will support postdoctoral researchers in the development of methods and instrumentation applied to the Life Sciences. The award amount for the Kenneth H. Downing Memorial Postdoctoral Scholarship for 2022 will be $4,000 USD. Applications are due by December 15, 2021.

The eLearning Task Group of MSA needs your feedback

MSA is dedicated to providing educational opportunities and adapting to the needs of our members. To tailor and expand our available learning sessions, we need your input. This survey should take less than five minutes to complete and will help guide and inform our education efforts moving forward. Please provide your feedback by December 15, 2021.

Renew your MSA membership for 2022!

Keep your membership active to maintain access to exclusive member benefits including peer networking, discounts on educational materials, savings on the annual Microscopy & Microanalysis conference, participation in Society activities, and so much more. Upon renewing, we'd like to ask for five minutes of your time to complete a brief membership survey to ensure that we are providing you valuable benefits as an active member of MSA. 

Our webinar series featuring MSA’s 2021 Distinguished Scientist Awardees has now concluded. If you missed any of the talks or would like to rewatch, all three recordings are available for viewing! Access to the recordings can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Haider Physical Sciences

Prof. Knut Wolf Urban

Physical Sciences

Prof. David Agard

Biological Sciences

New microscopy technique for quantum simulation

Researchers from the Institute of Laser Physics at Universität Hamburg have developed a new technique for quantum gas microscopy that now allows imaging of three-dimensional quantum systems. In the journal Nature, they report on the new method, which can be used to explore entirely new regimes.

Read more.

Two-photon microscope provides unprecedented brain-imaging ability

Advancing our understanding of the human brain will require new insights into how neural circuitry works in mammals, including laboratory mice. These investigations require monitoring brain activity with a microscope that provides resolution high enough to see individual neurons and their neighbors.

Read more.

Image Analysis Webinar

MSA StC will hold an Image Analysis Webinar at 12:00 PM (EST) on December 17th (Friday). Students who are interested in image analysis and processing are welcome to join this online webinar. Graduate student Andrew Soltisz at Dr. Rengasayee (Sai) Veeraraghavan's Nanocardiology lab in The Ohio State University will be the panelist for this webinar and he will share new image analysis methods with us and answer related questions. Registration is required to join Zoom. The webinar will also be live-streamed on MSA StC Facebook and YouTube Live.

When: 12:00 PM (EST), December 17th (Friday) 2021

Where: Zoom

RSVP Here.

StC Appointed Position Applications Are Open!

The Call for Applications for the Appointed Positions (Social Chair and Regional Liaisons) will remain open until all positions are filled. There are only a few roles left, so please contact [email protected] for updated information on which positions are not yet filled!

The application and role descriptions can be accessed on the MSA Student Council website, Responsibilities page. If you are interested in getting involved but aren’t sure if you’re ready for a full position, keep an eye on our communications for information about committees!

Call for Applications

Application for Appointed Positions

Regional Updates

Region III Update:

Last month, the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF) in Indiana announced that their aberration-corrected Thermo Scientific Spectra 30-300 scanning transmission electron microscope is being equipped with new analytical capabilities. Users will now be able to perform 3D-electron tomography thanks to the addition of advanced software packages and an analytical tomography holder capable of imaging large fields of view at high tilt angles. Furthermore, installation of Gatan’s newest generation of the GIF Continuum K3 detector will allow users to conduct electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy. Researchers should be able to use this new-and-improved instrument by the end of this year. For more information, visit: https://imaging.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/two-powerful-diagnostic-tools-added-to-instrument-within-the-integrated-imaging-facility/.

Local Affiliated Societies News

by Ru-ching Hsia, LAS Director

LAS Business Meetings

The next LAS business meeting will be held on December 9, 1 to 2 PM EST. Officers and members of LAS are welcome to attend the meeting. Different LAS will be featured in each meeting and present their activities and events. We will also share ideas and tips for running local societies and events during the meeting. LAS are encouraged to work with regional liaisons from the MSA Student Council (StC), local colleges, and other regional scientific or teachers’ societies, etc.

Renew Your LAS membership

While you are renewing your MSA membership, please consider renewing your membership of your local microscopy society and support their activities too.

Regional LAS Activities

Find out more about your local microscopy society and what is happening in your neighborhood by checking the MSA community page at http://microscopy.org/communities/local.cfm.

LAS Programs

MSA provides LAS support with Tour Speakers, Grants-in-Aid, and Special Meeting grants. Details can be found at http://www.microscopy.org/communities/programs.cfm.

If you are interested to start an Affiliated Society in your region or have any questions and concerns, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Ru-ching

MSA FIGs are groups of MSA members who have organized, with the approval of MSA Council, to promote a specific discipline relevant to microscopy or microanalysis. Each FIG must have a minimum of 10 members to remain active. All MSA members are eligible and encouraged to participate in the existing FIGs. There is an annual fee of $15 per FIG joined. Learn more about FIGs here.

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