Electron microscopes are shifting the boundaries of human knowledge in many fields. They are used in medicine, materials research, the semiconductor industry, forensics, mining and many other areas. At the same time, the Czech Republic is a powerhouse in this field, and Brno can without exaggeration be called the capital of electron microscopy. Three manufacturers are located in the Moravian metropolis, and it is said that together they produce roughly a third of all electron microscopes made in the world.

While an optical microscope uses light rays, in an electron microscope light is replaced by electrons. Another difference is the lenses – instead of glass lenses, we find electromagnetic coils. And because the wavelength of electrons is significantly shorter than that of visible light, the electron microscope also has a higher resolution, resulting in much higher effective magnification. The best electron microscopes can distinguish individual atoms. That's roughly the same as watching a tennis match on the moon from Earth and being able to see the ball!