Nigel Browning, a physicist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been elected a Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America.

The "Fellow" designation distinguishes senior MSA members who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the science. Browning was recognized for advancements in electron microscopy, a type of microscopy that allows scientists to see structures on the molecular level.

A scientific leader in the field, Browning has led a large-body of ground-breaking research since the early 1990s. In 2008, with colleagues from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Browning received an R&D 100 award for developing dynamic transmission electron microscopy, or DTEM. This technology can focus on objects as small as a few nanometers and catch a moment in time to reveal what happens over about 15 billionths of a second. This high resolution in both time and space allows researchers to take snapshots of what happens during chemical reactions.

Browning joined PNNL in 2011 with a goal of making DTEM work at normal pressures and temperatures. Currently, it requires samples to be in a vacuum. In addition, he is exploring how to use DTEM to control how nanoparticles form and grow - a method that could lead to new and improved materials for use in energy applications.

A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Browning earned a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom in 1988 and a doctorate in physics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in 1992.

The Microscopy Society of America (MSA), founded in 1942, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the knowledge of the science and practice of all microscopic imaging, analysis and diffraction techniques useful for elucidating the ultrastructure and function of materials in diverse areas of biological, materials, medical and physical sciences. Further information can be obtained by visiting www.microscopy.org or by calling 1-800-538-3672.