Electron Microscopes Used by London School

University Academy of Engineering (UAE) South Bank benefits from a new loan scheme by Hitachi High-Tech America.

16:18 07 June 2021

Hitachi High-Tech America is currently running a new loan scheme allowing universities across the country to have access to cutting-edge technology used by world-class scientists, including scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). 

 

UK schools are encouraged to apply to loan SEMs via the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS). Students from the University Academy of Engineering (UAE) South Bank in London have become the first in the country to benefit from the scheme. The loan was secured through the assistance of Dr Alex Ball, Head of Imaging and Analysis at the Natural History Museum. 

 

Dr Ball said, “I’m a lifelong microscopist and once I started using scanning electron microscopes as a PhD student, I was hooked and knew that it was all I wanted to do.”

 

“I’ve demonstrated scanning electron microscopes to thousands of people. The reaction is always the same, astonishment at what the scanning electron microscopes can reveal about the hidden beauty in relatively mundane objects, so I’ve long wanted to be involved in a programme that can bring that sense of wonder to more people. Hitachi High-Tech’s programme provides that opportunity.”

 

Jon Searle, the Head of Science at UAE South Bank said, “Our science club has exploded in numbers since we got access to the microscope. I’m enjoying the gasps of delight when you zoom in on pretty much anything. The smile on an eleven-year-old’s face when you tell them that they are one of the best scanning electron microscopes operators for their age in the world is an excellent thing.

 

“Ultimately our students feel like scientists because they have access to an incredibly advanced piece of technology. I hope this microscope encourages them to study science and go on to successful and rewarding careers in science.”