INNOVATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

With an electron microscope, researchers can explore the invisible world of micrometres and nanometres. They can magnify objects up to 10 million times. From the tiniest organisms on our skin to processes inside our bodies, they discover how our immune system works. They also study how blood clots form and how diseased cells affect our health. But microbiology is not the only field in which we are active. In nanotechnology, electron microscopy also reveals the secrets of materials at the smallest scale.

At VDL ETG, we produce components with an exceptional level of precision. One example is a unique, minuscule aluminium plate at the heart of an electron microscope. In our advanced cleanroom, we assemble and test these components with the utmost accuracy. They determine the quality and resolution of the images produced by the microscope. In short, we provide researchers with the tools they need to unlock the mysteries of the microscopic world.

With cryogenic electron microscopy, a Nobel Prize-winning technology, we can study materials and biological structures at atomic level. How? By freezing a sample very rapidly and deeply, then bombarding it with an electron beam. In the vacuum of this cryogenic environment, the sample can be examined under an electron microscope without being damaged. And this is not merely theoretical: this advanced technology has helped us understand the COVID-19 virus and how we might tackle the pandemic.

Together with one of our customers, we designed a new ‘manipulator’. It moves and rotates samples in different directions inside an electron microscope. This module stands out through its extremely high accuracy, stable positioning and extremely low drift. It is suitable for ultra-high vacuum (UHV). This innovative technology gives researchers new opportunities to push the boundaries of microbiology even further.