Virtual Microscopy Resources

Web Articles

• WebSlide Browser - WebSlide is a thin client browser designed for viewing pre-scanned photomicrographs that are "tiled" into a complete image. This software allows one to examine the entire "specimen" as you would with a real microscope. A database stores libraries of photomicrographs taken of all areas of the specimen at several different magnifications. The concept will be an excellent teaching tool for medical students who often must examine tissue samples for pathological evidence.
• Dennis Kunkel's Virtual Microscope - Although World-renoun photomicrographer Dennis Kunkel calls this microscope a "JavaScript SEM" it is really one of the most advanced virtual microscopes that we have seen on the Web. This one is a must-see.
• Open University Virtual Microscope - The Virtual Microscope is a development project at The Open University between the Multimedia Enabling Technologies Group and the Department of Earth Sciences. This group also distributes a virtual microscope on CD-ROM that consists of better and bigger images than are used on the Web. Their on-line virtual microscope is one of the best on the Web.
• Delaware County Community College - This "virtual microscope" is really just a series of photomicrographs that support on-line histology courses.
• First Year by Distance Education (FYDE) - Brought to you by the University of Winnipeg, this Website is really a distance-learning support site with images that are used in teaching general biology, zoology, and botany.
• Interactive Hall - These guys threaten to bring us a virtual microscope, but so far we haven't seen it yet. If you happen to visit this link and actually see a microscope, please email us from the links at the bottom of this page.
• Marly Cain's Amazing Micronautic Adventures Web Microscope - A Java-powered scanning electron microscope. Marly Cain is exploring scanning electron microscopy of insects with a Java SmartLens that provides interactive magnification and color processing capabilities usually found only in expensive graphics software.
• cyberMICROSCOPE - This microscope is brought to you by the students of Absegami High School through an association with Rutgers University. Clicking on the eyepieces of the microscope leads to their galleries of photomicrographs.
• Histology Explorer - Developed at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, this is another computer program that is offered for sale. They have some demos on their Website, but no working model.
• Interactive Focusing and Astigmatism Adventures - Phil Fraundorf of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, has built this applet that allows visitors to practice astigmatism correction and focusing in electron microscopy.
• MicroScape - This group presents a nice collection of QuickTime videos of electron microscopy using various materials. While not a truly working virtual microscope, the site offers a very good start.
• NanoWorld Virtual Electron Microscope - This is more of a tutorial illustrated with electron microscopy images, but these guys have a great Website and will probably present a very nice virtual EM in the future.
• On-Line Microscopy - The National Center for Electron Microscopy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is using a Kratos high-voltage EM-1500 as a test-bed for remote-control microscopy.
• Planktology cyberMicroscope - Take a look into the eyepieces of this virtual microscope, and it will take you on an expedition into the waters of Antarctica, onboard the Research Vessel "Walther Herwig". The Website is sponsored by Volkswagen and Rutgers University.
• Tele-Presence Microscopy Project - The AAEM/TPM project is an on-going R&D effort at Argonne National Laboratory to provide live video imaging and remote control of unique scientific instrumentation for collaborative research and teaching.
• The Virtual Cell - This Website features an isolated virtual cell that the visitor can investigate. Selecting an action and clicking on the cell activates a cgi script that enforces the action (looking for chloroplasts, for instance). Although this site does not have a working virtual microscope, it is a good start for cell biology distance learning.
• Virtual Microscope - This software was designed by the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland. The actual microscope is a client-server system designed to provide a realistic digital emulation of a high power light microscope.
• Virtual Pathology Microscope - Sponsored by the Pathology Department at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, this microscope model uses Java to allow visitors to view stained thin section of pathological specimens. Normal tissue thin sections are included for reference.
• Microscopy-UK Virtual Microscope - This "Microscope for the PC" is a PC-based software system that simulates a virtual microscope. It is a free download, so check it out!
• Wavelet-based Virtual Microscope Demo Page - Sponsored by the Pathology Department at Stanford University, this Website offers a limited selection of stained pathology thin sections that can be studied with a Java-based image viewer.