Micronaut - the blog!: 2008

what's up in Professor Rüegg's lab... ?

Raptor, an essential component of mTOR complex 1, determines the metabolic and structural state of skeletal muscles. The image shows a scanning electron micrograph of a cut mouse skeletal muscle. The sample was artificially colorized to visualize the different cellular structures. Connective tissue and extracellular components (white color) surround the muscle, which consists of individual muscle fibers (red). Muscle fiber types, whose distribution is affected in raptor-deficient skeletal muscle, are symbolized by the variation in red. For further information see Bentzinger et al, Cell Metab. 2008. Nov;8(5):411-24. © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch, 2008. All rights reserved.

hey sista'...

...all clothes are fucked. So, what are we going to play next? Filou and Artemis ("Klöni") wide awake. Diva ("Jada") in the background just before joining the vicious party. Image: © Martin Oeggerli 2008.

Bilder der Forschung

The winners of the competition 2008. Image: Marc Steinmetz, the winner of „Faces of Research“, was represented by his proud father (at left, holding the certificate with the picture of his son) vertreten. Photographer Gottfried Stoppel (at right) won the public award and Swiss photographer-scientist Martin Oeggerli (middle) holds both certificates for 1st and 2nd price in the category 'Fascination of Research'.

Credit: W. Heider-Sawall / FM.

Best Research Image 2008 I

...on the way to the gala party we found this street by chance. Sarina didn't need to ask twice. Image © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch 2008.

Best Research Image 2008 II

Finally, Micronaut in front of his winning images: Waterbacteria (1st place) and Insect egg (2nd). I have been told by the jury that choosing the winner between both images was difficult and has been a disputed decision. All images are presented anonymously, after all. Image © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch 2008. All rights reserved.

Best Research Image 2008 III

Heeelp - they are giving me a huge bunch of flowers, two diplomas and a micro, too... ! By the way, look at my highly sophisticated foot position: yes Sir, I play tennis (and it really helps in such a situation). Image: © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch 2008. All rights reserved.

Best Research Image 2008 IV

Be sure I didn't miss many Knoff-Hoff shows in my life: chair of the jury, charming and expert talkmaster all in one person Joachim Bublath was in good-humour, too. Image © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch 2008. All rights reserved.

love at first sight...

Cleopatra, mother of six, and her beautiful daughter Jada, which meanwhile listens to her new name "Diva" and helps to protect Switzerland from beeing overpopulated by mice! Image: © Martin Oeggerli / ® Micronaut 2008. All rigths reserved.

the stomach-contents of a...

CPD (Critical Point Dryer). Note the bursting disc (blue arrow) ensures safety, if the pressure passes the limit. I had the pleasure once to see it in full action and I'm not especially keen on making the experience again: the explosion made the machine jump up from the table but interestingly, my samples remained unharmed. I later produced some of my finest images ever... !!

the 6-pack of the year!

...one came after the other until we finally got 6 young (and additionally two adults) by 3 a.m. After 30 days our place had slowly but continuously turned into a cat playground and on an ordinary day you could see e.g. three cats climbing up the sacred National Geographic Magazine collection while one was trying to catch Roger Federers passing shots on TV, another was using its razor sharp claws to climb up your naked leg, while the last one was constantly trying to bite off your toes. Thus, wearing jeans and shoes at home became the golden rule!

my dayjob

Cell publication

This image shows dividing Caulobacter crescentus cells attached to a solid substrate via their stalk and holdfast structures. Published in: Paul et al, Cell. 2008 May 2;133(3):452-61. Erratum in Cell. 2008 May 30;133(5):928. Image: © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch, 2008. All rights reserved. With kind support by FHNW, Life Sciences, Muttenz.

Mrs. Cleopatra

after - and before...

...choosing a frame with an SEM is like watching TV in the 30-ies. Take home message: high-quality SEM-images can't be produced quick & dirty!! Image: © Martin Oeggerli / ® Micronaut.ch 2008. All rights reserved.

SF1 - Aeschbacher I

As it happens: Micronaut supporters follow the TV interview on-site. From left to right: my father Bruno and my mother Margrit (both guilty for my addiction to images), my girlfriend Sarina, to which I cannot possibly express the depth of my gratitude, our faithful friend Rebecca, my cousin Sina and her boyfriend Andreas enjoy the event. Image © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch 2008.

SF1 - Aeschbacher II

1st prize 'Scientific Cover Image 2008'

The EMBO Journal Cover Contest 2008 has a winner! A coloured SEM image of Urediniomycete spores prepared by Martin Oeggerli, received the most praise from the jury and was selected as the winner in the "scientific" section of the contest, from among more than 700 submissions: "I found this spectacular situation in the central part of a fungal fruit body while exploring the sudden death of a tiny plant that used to grow just outside my front door", writes the author. "Apparently, a fungus had destroyed it entirely within a few days. The spores are just about 4.3µm in diameter." © Martin Oeggerli / www.Micronaut.ch, 2008. All rights reserved.

Switzerland at it's best: Flüelen

Flüelen is a very beautiful spot and I love the get there not only because an SEM is waiting for me but also to meet my dear colleagues and friends Edith and Hermann Zgraggen. Expert microscopists & good people is not the norm. You can bet your life on that!! (please note the two !). Image: © Martin Oeggerli ® Micronaut 2008.

Mr. Goldfinger

Biological samples are usually non-conductive and need a thin layer of gold or gold-paladium on top. Image: © Martin Oeggerli / ® Micronaut.ch 2008.

critical step during CPD

Critical Point Drying (CPD) has his perfidies, e.g. the pressure must be released very very carefully... Image: © Martin Oeggerli / ® Micronaut 2008.