Expertise
Imaging Platforms
Keywords - Light Microscopy: Confocal microscopy | Widefield microscopy | Automated slide-scanning | Automated stereo microscopy | Automated compound light microscopy | Polarised light microscopy | Cathodoluminescence | Laser scanning | Infinite focus microscopy | Metrology imaging
Keywords - Electron Microscopy: Transmission EM | Scanning EM (Tungsten) | Scanning EM (FEG) | Electron beam micro-analysis | Electron microprobe | EDX and WDX analysis | Cathodoluminescence imaging | X-ray diffraction
Keywords - X Ray Microscopy: MicroCT | NanoCT
The imaging laboratories are divided into five sub-units: Light microscopy and slide scanning - principally housed in the Microscopy and Digitisation Laboratory; Polarised light microscopy - a dedicated mineral analysis laboratory including UV-Vis spectrometry and cold-cathode CL imaging; Electron microscopy; 3D visualisation - including laser scanning and infinite focus metrology imaging and the Micro-CT laboratory.
Dedicated staff are available to assist in all areas of imaging, together with appropriate software, computing resources and data storage and transfer solutions.
Applications
Keywords - Biological: Developmental Biology | Natural Sciences | Taxonomy | Systematics | Organismal Biology | Functional Biology | DNA | Functional anatomy | Biomechanics
Keywords - Physical Sciences: Bioengineering and biomaterials |Geology / mineralogy | Planetary sciences | Cultural Heritage | Geosciences | Bioinspiration
The Natural History Museum Collections cover human collecting efforts focussed on the Natural Sciences over an almost 300 year period. The collections are internationally significant and curated and researched by several hundred staff. As a result, the applications addressed by the NHM's Imaging and Analysis Centre cover almost every aspect of Natural History and Cultural Heritage research. In addition to being highly adaptable and flexible, the laboratories are secure and environmentally and pest controlled and monitored.
Sample Preparation
Keywords - Biological: Resin embedding | Ultrathin sectioning | Serial sectioning | Critical Point Drying | Metal coating | Correlative Light and EM | Immunofluorescence | Geological thin section | Polished and embedded rock and mineral blocks
In addition to conventional light and electron microscopy sample preparation, the Natural History Museum offers extensive geological sample preparation including: geological thin section and embedded and polished block preparation, rock cutting, splitting, grinding and milling, powder and magnetic separation.
Data Analysis
Keywords - Software: ImageJ | FIJI | Amira | VG StudioMax | Avizo | Drishti | Mimics | MeX | Oxford Instruments Inca | Bruker Esprit
Keywords - Hardware: 3D printing
Comprehensive data visualisation facilities are provided for electron beam microanalysis and X-ray micro-CT data reconstruction, visualisation and analysis.
Nine off-line workstations are provided for micro-CT data visualisation and analysis; six off-line workstations are provided for electron beam microanalytical data analysis.
Shared Access
The Natural History Museum's facilities are available to all NHM staff and registered NHM students. External access to the facilities is available through contract research agreements or via access agreements and EU-funded Networking and infrastructure activities (principally Synthesys).
Funding
The Natural History Museum is funded through DCMS.