The Virtual Microscope project provides cost-free simulated scientific instrumentation for students and researchers worldwide as part of NASA's Virtual Laboratory initiative. This site supports and shares data from three instruments: a scanning electron microscope, a fluorescence light microscope, and an atomic force microscope. The automated data capture software is shared with users via a Java application that provides a simulation of the group's actual microscope interfaces. The magnification controls allow the user to explore any point of interest on the sample. Also included is a set of specimen annotation tools for teachers and learners. In addition to the datasets, the website provides training materials and animated tutorials that explore the basics of each imaging method.

The Virtual Microscope is an open source project developed by the Imaging Technology Group, part of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Please note that this resource requires Flash, or Quicktime, or Xuggle.

Please note that this resource requires Java (JRE).