FlowCam^® - Flow Imaging Microscopy Blog

Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies was recently named as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Maine. This list is made up of 84 companies in three size categories: small (15-49 U.S. employees), medium (50-249 U.S. employees) and large (250+ U.S. employees).

An article featured this month in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) publication Opflow describes the challenges currently facing water utilities across the country, and lays out a strategy to proactively monitor for cyanobacteria and taste & odor causing algae.

This year, in lieu of their annual conference and exhibition, Powder & Bulk Solids hosted a virtual conference: The Powder Show: Digital Flow.

Steve Bowen, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies Director of Sales, presented a short webinar at this event, titled "Measuring Sphericity & Aggregates of Powders Dispersed in Fluids". The talk is still available to view, alongside other presentations, on The Powder Show website.

On Tuesday, October 13th, at 3pm CDT, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Sales Director, Steve Bowen, will be presenting a webinar on Flow Imaging Microscopy at the NAPIM (National Association of Printer Ink Manufacturers) Fall Technical Conference, part of InkWeek 2020.

Register for the conference here.

A long-term study undertaken by Chaffin et al. at Ohio State University monitored nutrient levels and phytoplankton growth in the Lake Erie central basin from 2014 until 2017. The purpose of the study was to determine the primary limiting nutrient determining phytoplankton growth, and determine if multiple limiting nutrients existed during this time period. The FlowCam was used to image and analyze phytoplankton species and to estimate biomass and biovolume of the species under consideration.

"Most drinking water utilities enter high-alert mode upon testing positive for microcystin. Staff at the city of Wichita Falls, Texas, Water Purification Laboratory responded calmly when they received that dreaded phone call in July 2018 because of their progressive approach to monitoring cyanobacteria. Climate conditions are conducive to harmful algae blooms (HABs) and taste-and-odor events with increasing frequency and intensity. As a result, US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations are moving toward requiring cyanobacteria monitoring. Proactive drinking water utilities are seeking a streamlined approach to monitoring cyanobacteria and nuisance algae." Adams et. al. "Use an Integrated Approach to Monitor Algal Blooms" Opflow Dec 2018

Metal Additive Manufacturing (also known as 3-D printing) requires carefully engineered compound metal powders in order to make high-quality end products. Authors Farzadfar et al. have determined a process for manufacturing a bimodal powder that has both the desired particle density and still flows freely.

We are happy to announce that we have made available curated galleries of our favorite aquatic images from around the world, in a variety of applications. Are you curious what your water samples would look like when analyzed on the FlowCam? Check out all of the images in our galleries, or peruse below for a sampling of what's available. This is only a small sampling of what the FlowCam is capable of; please contact us if you'd like to see more.

The Tara Ocean Foundation, based in France, has mounted a collective effort to study the effect of climate change on the world's oceans. Beginning in 2004, they have launched 11 expeditions that have spanned the globe. According to the Tara Oceans Foundation, the project "has developed an open, innovative Ocean science that will enable us to predict, anticipate and better manage tomorrow’s climate risks. We use high-level scientific expertise to raise awareness and educate young people, mobilize policy makers at the highest level, and enable emerging and developing countries to access the latest knowledge about the Ocean."

These past few months we have all had to adjust to a new normal. For some that means risking their lives to provide essential services to the public, or doing their best to follow social-distancing rules in the lab or office. For others that means sitting at home with our laptops on our couches and getting our work done in isolation, or with children at our feet. Working from home is a unique challenge for scientists whose work requires more than just a screen and an internet connection.