From Insect Legs to Concrete – A New Microscope Reveals the Invisible
Scientific coordinator and biologist Dr. Jendrian Riedel in front of the new ESEM, Photo: Bremen University of Applied Sciences
Materials Characterization in Bremen - the new instrumentation center at Bremen University of Applied Sciences allows scientists to study materials at the nanometer scale under the microscope. The system is complemented by a tensile testing unit capable of applying mechanical stress to specimens during microscopic analysis. The facility is open to collaboration, particularly with partners from the aerospace industry.
Located in the basement of the university's M-Wing, built in 1906, the new center for multidisciplinary structural analysis houses one of the most advanced microscopes in northern Germany: an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM).
This powerful tool offers groundbreaking research opportunities, as explained by Prof. Dr. Jan-Henning Dirks, Head of the Department of Biological Structures and Bionics and Director of the instrumentation cent5er:
“We no longer need to prepare specimens through elaborate processes or transfer them into a vacuum. Instead, we can examine them in their natural state. So far, this capability exists at only a few locations in Germany.”
A Major Asset for the Natural and Engineering Sciences
The microscope is especially useful in biology, where conventional sample preparation methods—such as gold sputtering and vacuum dehydration—alter the specimen's properties. However, the microscope benefits many other disciplines as well. Among its capabilities is elemental analysis:
“What materials and elements constitute the surface of a specimen? Traditional SEMs made this difficult because the surface had to be coated with gold. With this microscope, we no longer have that limitation,” adds Dirks.
ESE-Microscope Offers A Unique Combination of Capabilities
The key advantage of the system lies in its modularity. Various extension modules enable application-specific experiments across disciplines:
- A tensile testing module applies uniaxial loads of up to 10 Newton-meters to specimens several centimeters in length.
- A heating module allows for sample temperatures of up to 1,000 °C.
“We can also acquire additional modules tailored to future research needs. This considerably expands our experimental range,” Dirks explains.
This combination of nanometer-resolution imaging under ambient conditions (ESEM resolution: up to 1 nanometer) and system flexibility is unique in Germany.
“It puts us in the top league and further cements Bremen’s status as a hub for cutting-edge research and development,” Dirks affirms.
Laying apparatus of a fruit fly (795x magnification), image: Bremen University of Applied Sciences/Riedel
Resources for Industry and Academia in Northern Germany
In addition to the ESEM, the new center includes other equipment for multidisciplinary structural analysis, such as a micro-computed tomography system capable of generating high-resolution, 360° scans of objects up to the size of a tennis ball, with a resolution of up to 5 μm.
Scientific coordinator and biologist Dr. Jendrian Riedel is responsible for the center’s day-to-day operations. He supports research projects, trains users, and coordinates facility management:
“We welcome collaborative projects with companies and research institutions. The infrastructure is explicitly open to external partners.”
Usage is governed by an official pricing structure. However, new research collaborations—particularly with industrial or aerospace-sector partners—are especially encouraged.
“The center was designed with materials science and engineering in mind. Our strong link to bionics research at Bremen University of Applied Sciences offers numerous synergies,” adds Riedel.
Integrated into Bremen’s Research Ecosystem
Through Prof. Dirks, the center is affiliated with the MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes at the University of Bremen. It also maintains close ties to ECOMAT of which Bremen University of Applied Sciences is a member.
“Materials characterization is crucial to developing next-generation materials for aerospace,” Dirks emphasizes.
“As an ECOMAT member, we benefit from direct exchange with industry and academia. And we warmly invite all partners to make use of our resources.”
Nationally Funded and Recognized
The instrumentation center for multidisciplinary structural analysis is one of just 14 projects funded nationwide by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and received €1 million in funding. The facility was officially inaugurated in January 2025.
More information about the equipment is available on the center’s website:
https://www.hs-bremen.de/en/hsb/faculties/school-of-nature-and-engineering/core-facility-for-multidisciplinary-structural-analysis/
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