Macro intro for microscopes

Rice University President David Leebron led the official opening of the Rice Electron Microscopy Center at the Brockman Building for Physics on Sept. 21. The center features one of the world’s most powerful scanning/transmission electron microscopes, the Titan Themis, which allows researchers to see materials smaller than a nanometer in size. Above, Leebron and guests view the Titan Themis with Emilie Ringe, a Rice assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry. Below, Leebron and Don Kania, president of microscope manufacturer FEI Inc., run the new Helios NanoLab 600 DualBeam microscope through its paces, cutting a nanoribbon to open the facility. The Helios will be used for three-dimensional imaging, analysis of larger samples and preparation of thin samples for the more powerful Titan next door. The event kicked off a two-day workshop at the center.