ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2008) — It's the equivalent of taking the Hubble Telescope and aiming it at the atomic level rather than at stars and galaxies, says Gianluigi Botton, director of the new Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster, site of the world's most advanced and powerful electron microscope.

The Titan 80-300 Cubed was installed at the University early in the summer, and since then it has been put through its paces to achieve unprecedented resolution, and is quickly gaining attention from the media and scientists who work in the field.

"We are certainly the first university in the world with a microscope of such a high calibre," says Botton. "With this microscope we can now easily identify atoms, measure their chemical state and even probe the electrons that bind them together."

Mo Elbestawi, McMaster's vice-president, Research and International Affairs, says the power of the microscope is making McMaster a hub for a fast growing field.