ZEISS Happy Hour at Microscopy & Microanalysis 2017
Multi-Modal Imaging of Structural Biomaterials – Bioinspiration, Microscopy, and Correlative Imaging

Bioinspiration is the understanding of systems in nature and how we can modify and replicate these for human design and engineering. Multi-modal and multi-scale microscopy across light, electron, and X-ray microscopy can uncover new insights into incredibly diverse hierarchical biomaterials. X-ray microscopy (µCT/XRM) reveals previously undiscovered internal microarchitectures, as well as generating 3D representations of complex surface structures. Light and electron microscopy provide microstructural, chemical, and crystallographic characterisation. Fusing these techniques together in correlative workflows can extend the fundamental basis of materials science – structure/property relationships - to structure/property/function studies of organisms. We’ve investigated a number of species including cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides). Imaging has revealed complex internal architectures only visible using non-destructive methods. Understanding the organism’s behavior is essential to consider the functions of these complex forms, requiring first-hand observation or collaboration across disciplines with species specialists; broadening the research horizons for materials science and microscopy.