This new volume, Microscopy Applied to Materials Sciences and Life Sciences. focuses on recent theoretical and practical advances in polymers and their blends, composites, and nanocompos¬ites related to their microscopic characterization. It highlights recent accomplishments and trends in the field of polymer nanocomposites and filled polymers related to microstructural characterization. This book gives an insight and better understanding into the development in microscopy as a tool for characterization.

The book emphasizes recent research work in the field of microscopy in life sciences and materials sciences mainly related to its synthesis, characterizations, and applications. The book explains the application of microscopic techniques in life sciences and materials sciences, and their applications and state of current research carried out.

The book aims to foster a better understanding of the properties of polymer composites by describing new techniques to measure microstructure property relationships and by utilizing techniques and expertise developed in the conventional filled polymer composites. Characterization techniques, particularly microstructural characterization, have proven to be extremely difficult because of the range of length-scales associated with these materials.

Topics include:

-Instrumentation and Techniques: advances in scanning probe microscopy, SEM, TEM, OM. 3D imaging and tomography, electron diffraction techniques and analytical microscopy, advances in sample preparation techniques in-situ microscopy, correlative microscopy in life and material sciences, low voltage electron microscopy.

-Life Sciences: Structure and imaging of biomolecules, live cell imaging, neurobiology, organelles and cellular dynamics, multi-disciplinary approaches for medical and biological sciences, microscopic application in plants, microorganism and environmental science, super resolution microscopy in biological sciences.

-Materials Sciences: materials for nanotechnology, metals alloys and inter-metallic, ceramics, composites, minerals and microscopy in cultural heritage, thin films, coatings, surfaces and interfaces, carbon based materials, polymers and soft materials and self-assembled materials, semiconductors and magnetic materials. Polymers and inorganic nanoparticles.

The volume will be of significant interest to scientists working on the basic issues surrounding polymers, nanocomposites, and nanoparticulate-filled polymers, as well as those working in industry on applied problems, such as processing. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of this research, the book will be valuable to chemists, materials scientists, physicists, chemical engineers, and processing specialists who are involved and interested in the future frontiers of blends.

Ajay Vasudeo Rane is currently a doctoral research fellow at the Durban University of Technology in Composites Research Group. He holds a master's degree in Green Technology, a bachelor's degree in Plastics and Polymer Engineering, and also a diploma in Rubber Technology. His current work is based on biopolymers-based nanocomposites. Previous works include polymer recycling, rubber-based composites, and nanocomposites. His area of study and readings include morphology of filled polymers-interface and interphase study, and structural activity of reinforcements in polymer composites. He was also a Visiting Faculty at Government Polytechnic, Mumbai at Department of Rubber Technology.

Professor Sabu Thomas is the Pro Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University and Founding Director of the International and Inter University Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He is also a full professor of polymer science and engineering at the School of Chemical Sciences of the same university. He is a fellow of many professional bodies. Professor Thomas has (co-)authored many papers in international peer-reviewed journals in the area of polymer science and nanotechnology. He has organized several international conferences. Professor Thomas's research group has specialized in many areas of polymers, which includes polymer blends, fiber-filled polymer composites, particulate-filled polymer composites and their morphological characterization, ageing and degradation, pervaporation phenomena, sorption and diffusion, interpenetrating polymer systems, recyclability and reuse of waste plastics and rubbers, elastomeric crosslinking, dual porous nanocomposite scaffolds for tissue engineering, etc. Professor Thomas's research group has extensive exchange programs with different industries and research and academic institutions all over the world and is performing world-class collaborative research in various fields. Professor Thomas'sCenter is equipped with various sophisticated instruments and has established state-of-the-art experimental facilities, which cater to the needs of researchers within the country and abroad.

He has more than 700 publications, with citation count of 31190. The H index of Prof. Thomas is 81, and he has six patents to his credit. Prof. Thomas has edited 73 books. He is a reviewer for many international journals. He has received MRSI, CRSI, nanotech medals for his outstanding work in nanotechnology. Recently Prof. Thomas has been conferred an Honoris Causa, DSc by the University of South Brittany, France, and University Lorraine, Nancy, France.

Nandakumar Kalarikkal, PhD, is Associate Professor and Head of the Advanced Materials Laboratory, School of Pure and Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India. He is also the Joint Director of the International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the same university. He is a fellow of many professional bodies. He has authored many professional journal articles and has co-edited several books. He is actively involved in research, and his group works on the synthesis, characterization and applications of various nanomaterials, ion irradiation effects on various novel materials, and phase transitions.

Krishnan Kanny, PhD, is a Professor of Material Science and Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Composites Research Group, Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Professor Kanny is a seasoned engineer and scientist with over twenty years' experience in management, leadership, and human resources development. He received his PhD in Material Science and Engineering from Tuskegee University, Alabama, USA. He is a member of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), the South African Institute of Mechanical Engineers (SaiMech.E), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2002-2003), and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomics (AIAA). He is NRF-rated scientist. Dr. Kanny's professional interests include designing, processing, and testing of composite material systems, reinforced thermoset, and thermoplastic structures; and nano-infused structures for aerospace, naval, and automotive applications. Other areas of interest are failure analysis via computational and analytical modelling, and characterization and morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Professor Kanny has more than 150 international peer-reviewed publications to his name.