Learning Zone
‘Ask the Experts’ at The Learning Zone
A major part of our flagship event since 2002, The Learning Zone is a tremendous free and interactive space which is open to all visitors and conference delegates.
Speak to our RMS member volunteers who are there to offer advice or explain basic or fundamental techniques using the available equipment on the zone. This range of microscopes and microscopists will be happy to field your questions, so please feel free to bring your samples along and ask for advice!
This year we are thrilled to showcase a portable SEM that is part of the Hitachi Global STEM Outreach Project - A collaboration between the Institute for Research in Schools, The Royal Microscopical Society, The Natural History Museum, Hitachi High Technologies and Oxford Instruments.
The Learning Zone also has its own seminar theatre hosting a daily programme of introductory talks. These talks are free to attend and there is no need to book in advance - simply turn up and enjoy! This year they are centred around four themes:
1) Techniques and Practice - The Basics
2) An Introduction to Open Source Software for Image Analysis and Hardware for Instrument Building
3) The RMS Community and Career Development
4) Outreach and Public Engagement
The Seminar Theatre programme will be available to view soon.
New to 2025, school visits and an educational programme for teachers
We are looking forward to welcoming both school groups and teachers to the Learning Zone this year. There will be opportunities to use the microscopes as well as dedicated talks in the Learning Zone Seminar Theatre for students on where microscopy could link into their future careers, and for teacher on the portable SEM project and how this could come to your school for a term.
If you are interested, we do request that you book in advance and contact Nicole Hondow for details.
On Display
We will have a historical display containing “Replica Rara” – a collection of instruments commissioned by Dr James McCormick in the early 1970s. Please visit our Science Heritage Collection of Microscopes page for more information. We will also be showcasing the progress Zeiss Archivity, Wolfgang Wimme has achieved making copies of the letters between Ernst Abbe and Carl Zeiss available for public view.
If you would like any more information about the Learning Zone at mmc2025, please email Jess Cole.
RMS Zone
Also running will be the RMS Zone. This area offers a more relaxed spot to find out about the Royal Microscopical Society, with information on membership, future events and training courses as well as a chance to meet a number of our Council, committee and staff members.
You can also find out more about the Society’s outreach projects such as its recognised qualification, the RMS Diploma and the RMS Microscope Activity Kits - the successful scheme of free microscopes and activities sent out to UK Primary Schools each term.
The RMS would like to thank the following companies for the contribution of their equipment to the Learning Zone: Nikon UK Ltd, MetPrep Ltd, and ZEISS.
Learning Zone Sponsors
Nikon UK Ltd
MetPrep Ltd
Zeiss
Learning Zone Organisers
Kerry Thompson
Kerry is a Lecturer in Anatomy at the University of Galway since 2017. She is the Programme Director for the newly established MSc in Microscopy & Imaging at Galway. In 2010 she was awarded her PhD for a microscopy heavy research project which focused on structure function relations in the human endometrium. In 2011 she began work as a Postdoctoral Microscopy Facility Scientist in the Centre for Microscopy and Imaging (CMI) in Galway and was a key member in its establishment.
In the 2014/2015 academic year Kerry acted as a project lead in the “Under the Microscope” Programme, which brought the Microscope Activity Kits from the RMS into Irish Primary Schools for the first time. Following this Kerry was elected on the Outreach & Education Committee of the RMS. With the support of both the RMS and the Microscopy Society of Ireland, the team continue to visit schools all over Ireland and partake in outreach events. In 2018 she succeed Prof Susan Anderson as the Honorary Secretary of Outreach and Education of the RMS. Her current research is focused on the development of correlative light and advanced electron microscopy techniques and technologies. She is keenly involved in the acquisition of microscopy related research infrastructure, and the development of adequate training and career progression pathways for Imaging Scientists and Core Facility Staff.
Alex Ball
Alex is the Head of Imaging and Analysis in the Core Research Laboratories at the Natural History Museum. He has over 25 years' experience in light and electron microscopy and has published research involving transmission and scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and micro-CT. His PhD research involved the use of LM, SEM and SEM combined with computer-aided 3D reconstruction. Now his interests focus on non-destructive imaging and analysis of natural and cultural heritage samples. Over the course of his career Alex has had the good fortune to be tasked with setting up the NHM's micro-CT laboratory and more recently the 3D surface scanning facilities where our first job was to 3D scan an entire blue whale skeleton! He has a keen interest in outreach and education and has led the NHM's imaging activities at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival for over ten years and routinely participates in the NHM's public outreach events.
Andrew Scott
Andrew is a senior lecturer in the Institute for Materials Research. He has extensive experience of a wide range of experimental (advanced electron microscopy, light microscopy, surface analysis, X-ray diffraction) and theoretical (ab-initio materials modelling, crystallography) techniques, acquired in both academia (Leeds, Newcastle, Brunel) and industry (BP Research). He is secretary of the Materials Chemistry Committee of the IOM3.
Nicole Hondow
Nicole is a University Academic Fellow in the area of Materials Characterisation at the University of Leeds. Prior to this she completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Chemistry at The University of Western Australia, and undertook postdoctoral research University of Leeds in the electron microscopy of materials relevant to catalysis and toxicology. Nicole’s current research uses analytical electron microscopy in the examination and quantification of nanomaterials in complex matrices.
Jess Cole
[email protected]
01865 254773
Contact Jess for School Outreach, RMS course sponsorship opportunities, Facilities Database queries and updates, and general administrative enquiries.