Re: Learning to see
- From: Bryan Heit <bjheit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 15:44:33 -0600
just beats wrote: <snip> an experienced
microscopist is able to "see" more detail than an inexperienced one.
Define what you mean by "see". Today, a lot microscopy is done via computer, so the ability of a person to "see" things trough the lenses is not a major factor in what can be observed (as several people can look at the resulting images on the computer). That said, the quality of the images captured does vary greatly between new and experienced users. IMO this is due to:
1) Better sample preparation. If you know what you're doing you can prep your sample to reduce background, minimally distort the sample, optimize staining/fluorescence, prevent photobleaching, properly mount the sample, etc. The more experienced user will know how to pick dyes with minimal bleed-through onto other fluorescent channels, whereas a newbie may not even be aware of that problem. The list goes on and on. This stuff takes a while to learn, so its no surprise that newbies often have poorer quality slides to start with.
2) Better able to configure the scope. Even the simplest of light microscopes requires a little bit more tuning then just focusing on the sample. Setting up things such as kholer illumination is important, even on a straight bright-field scope. Add in imaging systems like DIC or phase contrast, and you now add another 5-6 levers & dials which must be properly tuned for good images. Fluorescence adds yet another level of complexity - you need to balance exposure time with excitation intensity, and behind all of that, minimize background. Once again, it takes experience to be able to get all of this right, and thus the more experienced tend to get better images.
3) Better experimental design. Over the years I've learned how to set up my experiments to optimize what it is I'm trying to observe. Often, tweaking the experiment can overcome many of the imaging issues you may encounter later.
4) Patience.
Bryan .
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