An interview José Manuel Fortuño, the head of the Electron and Optical Microscopy Service at the ICM, to talk about his experience at the Institute and how new technologies have allowed the observation of the smallest organisms in the ocean to become more and more accurate.
José Manuel Fortuño started working at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM) more than 40 years ago, in 1979. He spent his first years analyzing the stomach content of fish larvae with the electronic microscope and today is the person at the ICM who knows this tool best. In fact, he is the head of the Electron and Optical Microscopy Service of the Institute and that is why this month's "In Depth" section of the Newsletter is dedicated to him and his work.
What is the first thing you do when you arrive at the ICM?
The first thing I do is to turn on the electronic microscope, since before starting to work it has to make a high vacuum to eliminate all the air molecules that may be inside the apparatus. Then I finish preparing the samples to be observed that day. Sometimes the observations are made by me, but occasionally they are made by users to whom I assist by adjusting the different parameters of the microscope so that they can see everything they want or expect to see. This requires that I will be up to date with everything related to microscopy, so I try to search and read a lot about it in specialized journals.
What does an electronic microscope look like and what kind of maintenance does it require?
At the ICM we work with a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) that provides images as a result of scanning a thin beam of electrons over the surface of a sample. This is achieved thanks to an electron-emitting filament and a series of electromagnetic lenses and apertures that direct the electron beam towards the sample. This entire mechanism is maintained annually, provided that no image degradation is observed beforehand. It must also be taken into account that the filament has a limited lifetime and that when it is changed, the entire part corresponding to the electron gun must also be cleaned. This is especially critical, as a speck of dust can prevent us, not only from achieving the full resolution of the SEM, but also from getting the job done.
Is this all?
No. An SEM also needs a compressor, rotary pumps, and a water circulator which also require maintenance. Likewise, the equipment needed for sample preparation requires regular maintenance and is more frequent depending on the degradation observed in the equipment. Finally, the SEM must also be calibrated regularly, for which I use certified standards.
Which is the most relevant feature of the electronic microscope?
The SEM makes it possible to observe samples at the micrometer or nanometer scale, and it has a high resolution and a great depth of field. It gives us information about the size, shape, composition, and other physical and chemical properties and characteristics of the samples. Besides, at the ICM we have an X-ray microanalysis system (EDX) that is coupled to the SEM and allows us to know the qualitative and quantitative composition of the samples, whether organic or inorganic, and a cryo-SEM system for the observation of liquid or semi-liquid samples. That is, frozen samples whose observation allows the study of microorganisms in their most natural state, without the interferences or artifacts due to the fixation and subsequent drying of the specimens.
What do researchers use the Institute's Electron and Optical Microscopy Service for?
It is used for the study of biological samples of marine origin. At the ICM we mainly study microorganisms that are part of the plankton such as bacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, or small ciliates. However, samples of cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid, and octopus), crustaceans (shrimps and crabs, among others), echinoderms, jellyfish, and fish are also analyzed. Also, the SEM is essential for the development of studies related to macro- and microplastics, and for the analysis, by our geologists, of marine sediment.
Can people from outside also use this Service?
The Electron Microscopy Service is open to the entire scientific community and companies. Numerous research groups use it, both from the Institute and from other CSIC centers, such as the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), or the Dairy Research Institute (IPLA). Likewise, the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB) of the UPC uses this service to carry out its research. Some of these groups use the SEM on a regular basis for months at a time, so I am not short of work!
Do all marine research centers have such a service?
No. Among all the CSIC marine centers, only the ICM and the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies (CEAB) have a SEM, although the one from the CEAB is a desktop equipment and has fewer features. Therefore, we can say with certainty that our service is unique among marine science institutes in Spain.
You may have seen many things through the lens of the SEM... What image do you keep?
Over all these years I have seen many things. In the service there have been descriptions of new species of coccolithophoral algae, diatoms and dinoflagellates. Also, the spermatozoon of the shrimp was described here for the first time. These findings are very rewarding. In general, looking at the complexity of single-celled microorganisms of very few microns makes you think about the complexity of life and how much we don't know.
Talking about knowledge...which knowledge is required to do your work?
In an institute like ours, I think my background as a biologist is an advantage. It allows me to better understand what the researchers want to observe and how to observe it. This has also allowed me to participate in projects and to make publications based on the observations. On the other hand, I believe that one must be constant and meticulous in maintenance tasks to avoid malfunctioning of the equipment and to get the best possible performance out of it. Finally, it is important to always look for ways to improve the results, either by improving the characteristics of the equipment or by optimizing the preparation of the samples. You never stop learning.
It doesn't seem easy to do everything you do. Is it sufficiently valued?
Well, the truth is not. Technicians like me are an essential part of the research system. We have been calling for many years for a professional technical career equivalent to a scientific career, but this does not exist in the CSIC. You reach a point where you can't aspire to more and that can demotivate many people. From my point of view, we aspire to greater recognition, both in the ICM and within the CSIC. The current management of the ICM has created a working group to improve on these issues and to know what our concerns are, which is the first step. However, many things depend on the policy that the CSIC has in this aspect, and this cannot be changed from here. Some promises never go beyond this...and this, in the end, demotivates.