An ion microscope has been used to demonstrate that the calcium ion is present in the amyloplasts of root-cap cells of corn, pea, and lettuce. The localization of calcium in the gravity-sensing organelle suggests a possible role of calcium in the gravity-sensing mechanism of plant roots.

Energetic heavy and light ion effects on gold nanoparticles were probed by irradiating 20 and 60 nm diameter nanoparticles with either 3 MeV Cu(3+) or 10 keV He(+) ions in situ inside of a transmission electron microscope. Both ion species caused sintering, agglomeration, and ablation of the nanoparticles via sputtering, although at different rates.

We describe the realization of a phase-sensitive and ultrafast near-field microscope, optimized for investigation of surface plasmon polariton propagation. The apparatus consists of a homebuilt near-field microscope that is incorporated in Mach-Zehnder-type interferometer which enables heterodyne detection. We show that this microscope is able to measure dynamical properties of both photonic an...

Designing high-throughput screens for voltage-gated ion channels has been a tremendous challenge for the pharmaceutical industry because channel activity is dependent on the transmembrane voltage gradient, a stimulus unlike ligand binding to G-protein-coupled receptors or ligand-gated ion channels. To achieve an acceptable throughput, assays to screen for voltage-gated ion channel modulators th...