This issue focuses on biophysics and the applications that are relevant to microbiology. The set of articles discusses the physics of instruments, what limits their performance and the possibilities for extending our knowledge of micro-organisms that recent developments in technology are opening up.
Microscopes are a vital tool of the microbiologist.
Dave Roberts and Gianfranco Novarino of the Natural History Museum consider the various factors that are important in producing a good image, such as resolution, contrast and depth of field, and describe how cameras, videos and computers can be used to record and enhance the final product. Atomic Force Microscopes achieve molecular resolution and enable samples to be imaged under fluids, permitting the real-time observation of biological processes in near native conditions. Alastair Smith describes how a range of biological materials can be studied using AFM, including proteins, membranes and nucleic acids and their complexes with proteins. The images obtained show details of the entire specimen. Stephen Fuller, a senior researcher at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, explains how recent exciting developments in the technique are being exploited by scientists.