March 6, Peabody, Mass. -- JEOL USA has launched an imaging contest to showcase some of the best work of users of its electron microscopes. A winning image will be selected for each month of 2014, judged by JEOL's SEM and TEM applications teams for their technical and artistic qualities.

"Many customers have asked us about launching an image contest, so we decided to do just that starting this year. JEOL SEM and TEM users are the experts in their fields, and often at the forefront of discoveries. We have seen some outstanding images submitted so far, ranging from biological and botanical specimens, to new materials at the atomic level, 3D reconstructions for medical research, and geological and nanotechnology samples. They all represent technical expertise and artistic talent," said Vern Robertson, Technical Sales Manager at JEOL USA.

All images submitted are part of an online gallery that JEOL has posted with a description of the sample and technique used. (http://www.jeolusa.com/HOME/Hidden/JEOLUSAImageContestEntriesWinners/tabid/1266/Default.aspx)

January winner:
The first image to win the contest was entitled "Nano Bling" and was submitted by Colin Davis of Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Golden, Colorado. The image, taken with an older model field emission Scanning Electron Microscope that was installed in the 1990s, was chosen for its contrasting textures and amorphous threads leading to an ordered sharply angular crystal.

February winner:
The second image, "Stars Reflected in an Astronaut's Helmet," was pseudo-colored and resembles a painting of an astronaut looking out into starry space. In reality the image is of a cross section of a microbump that reveals a void in the solder. It was submitted by Doug Hamilton of Xilinx in San Jose, California, and was also taken with a field emission SEM.

"While these images have great appeal visually, they are also technical appealing to scientists. We enjoy seeing the work and customers are having fun with this contest," said Robertson.

Contest details can be found at www.jeolusa.com.