What do microfibres look like?

Today is International Day of Women In Science. As an all female company working in science, we understand the importance of recognizing women working in spaces that are "non-traditional" or where there is unequal representation. We've both often been the only female in these environments, but we haven't let that deter or stop us from travelling this path. There is a lot to be said here, but we thought we'd keep it short and share some science-forward images from our day to day - in hopes these neat images might be inspiring or at very least interesting to other women considering science! When I first started using microscopes, I always found it so fascinating how different things could look up close, peering into another world.

We talk a lot about microplastics and the microfibre problem - but what do they look like anyway? We took some time in the lab last week to snap up close photos of microfibres to share with you. We used our lab microscope and a digital camera attachment. It was super easy and they turned out great! In the higher magnification photos, you can see the colour of the fibres.

I think they look a like little worms or bacteria - which seems fitting as I wouldn't want those in my water either!

​Have a look and let us know what you think they look like, or what you would want to see up close images of!

Microfibres in water, 40x.

Microfibres on cellulose filter, 40x.

Microfibres on grid filter, 40x.

Microfibres on grid filter, 100x.

Nicole's also been working on some really exciting developments to better show you what we're doing. Stay tuned to see what that is!