With March comes the return to light, and the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. We are hopeful that this season brings a return to health and prosperity as well to all of you.
Warm Regards,
Cybele Brooks
Marketing Director
Collage of the Quarter
Spring is in the air here at the FlowCam offices near Casco Bay in Portland, Maine. As winter comes to an end and the temperature in the bay begins to warm, we will start to see samples dominated by diatoms (a type of phytoplankton made of silica - glass). This particular sample, collected on Friday, March 12, was dominated by Leptocylindrus danicus. Other diatoms include Detonula, Ditylum, and Pleurosigma/Gyrosigma. We were also excited to see several examples of different zooplankton including a nauplius along with ciliates like Didinium, Laboea, Tintinnopsis, and Mesodinium rubrum. These images were collected on a FlowCam 5000 (10X) and sorted by Diameter ABD.
VIMS Uses FlowCam to Study HABs and Fulfill their Research Equipment Grant for Graduate Students
Savannah Mapes of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science used her 2020 FlowCam grant to study harmful algal blooms in the York River/lower Chesapeake Bay.
Savannah says, “The FlowCam jump-started the first chapter of my graduate thesis focused on the life cycle of A. monilatum. I now have a visual representation of my species in multiple life phases, information on the community composition of multiple local harmful algal species (in bloom), and numerical data of cell counts for each sample…I will also be comparing manual (light microscopy), FlowCam, and qPCR cell count methods, considering time requirements and accuracy.”
2021 Deadline for FlowCam Research Equipment Grant for Graduate Students Extended
Applicants will have an opportunity to win the use of a FlowCam for up to 4 months, plus remote shipping, training, technical support, and temporary software licenses.
The winner will also receive funding of up to $1,250 to present at a major scientific conference in North America within 12 months of project completion. Eligible expenses include conference registration, travel, food, and lodging.
Effects of Monsoon Flooding on Microplankton Communities in Kochi Backwaters of Western India: a FlowCam Study
Researchers Karnan et al. have recently published the results of a study performed from 2013-14 in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Their paper, titled "Implications of micro-plankton and micro-detritus on the food web in the largest monsoonal estuary along the west coast of India" tested the hypothesis that flooding would increase the quantity of available detritus in the Kochi Backwaters (KBW).
Yokogawa Recognized for Commitment to Global Sustainability
One of the many reasons we were excited to join the Yokogawa family of companies in 2020, is because of their commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Late last year, Yokogawa was recognized by the CDP (a global non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests) for their climate change leadership. The prior year, Yokogawa was first recognized for their leadership in water security, making them holders of a double A score from the CDP.
Yokogawa both supplies environmentally-friendly product solutions to its customers, as well as works toward the corporate goal of net-zero emissions by the year 2050.
Shown here are particles trapped in honey from hives belonging to FlowCam Technical Support Manager, Kay Johnson. The top row shows pollen grains, and the bottom row shows common pests called varroa mites. These honey bee parasites are very common and can weaken a hive, so bee keepers treat for them during the summer or fall to keep numbers low. Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor
Special Offer for Customers: 15% Off Warranty Extension Purchases
We are happy to offer various extended warranty option plans to protect your FlowCam for a period of up to 5 years. Warranties include all repair and/or replacement of hardware, optics, and electronics within the covered period.
We are currently offering a special 15% discount for US and Canadian customers* who extend the Warranty Coverage on their FlowCam before April 30, 2021. Please contact us at orders@fluidimaging.com with any questions regarding the status of your current warranty and how to extend your coverage at this special discounted rate.
*Customers outside of the US and Canada should reach out to their local distributor for pricing information.
Welcome Aboard, David and Scott!
David Janse joins our team as Director of Finance. He's been in management consulting at RGP for the last four years, supporting companies in Financial Planning and Integration Management. Prior to RGP he worked at Dolby Laboratories in San Francisco as a Director of Finance and as their Regional Director in Amsterdam managing their European Shared Service Group. David has returned to Maine (after 20+ years out of state) with his wife Judy and daughter Jasmijn (15). They have two older sons who live in Amsterdam and Maui. His hobbies include sourdough bread baking and playing pick-up soccer games.
Scott Harding, our newest Software Engineer, has a background in software development for embedded systems and computer design. After receiving a Bachelor of Science cum laude in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern Maine, Scott worked in the R&D Divisions of both Texas Instruments and the Hewlett-Packard Company designing software that speeds up development time to design high-performance microprocessors. Later, Scott worked as a software engineer at Cadence Design Systems in their Digital Design Automation group. Scott has also worked as a consultant in various software capacities related to embedded systems, hardware design, and manufacturing automation.
Consider a career with us, a small company rooted in Maine and now part of a large multinational corporation with regional headquarters around the globe.
Join an exceptionally talented team of professionals who bring science and creativity together.