Return to Submit Call for Visual Collection Resources
Deadlines
Review Criteria
Editorial Policy and Copyright
Submission Instructions
Formatting Requirements
Sample Visual Resource Submission
Visual Collection Editorial Review Committee
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The Visual Resources Editorial Committee has selected an animation, still image and video published in 2008 to receive an Editor’s Choice Award. This award is given to one animation, one still image, and one video published in the past year which exemplifies the criteria for publication in the MicrobeLibrary. The three resources were chosen from 27 resources published in the Visual Collection in 2008.
2009 Visual Collection Editor’s Choice Award
Animation
Lee Hughes, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-5220
Still Image
Charida Pukahuta, Aranya Pimmongkol, and Warinee Palasarn, Department of Biological Sciences, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon, Ratchatani 34190 Thailand
Video
Michael Lemke, Microbial Ecology, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL 62701
Roza George, Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
Keith Miller, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL 62703-507 |
I. Call for Materials
The ASM seeks images, animations, video clips, or other materials depicting the microbial world that can be used for teaching undergraduate microbiology. Examples of the types of materials sought for the MicrobeLibrary include:
- Stained microscopic images of microorganisms in culture media or from human or animal specimens, clinical samples, environmental samples, and industrial wastes.
- Images of microbes taken with all types of optics including: Phase contrast, darkfield, Nomarski, Differential Interference Contrast, Epifluorescence, and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM)
- Scanning electron micrographs and electron micrographs of microbial structure (e.g., bacteria, virus, parasites, and fungi).
- Macroscopic images of microbial colonies on culture media showing pure cultures or images of environmental or clinical samples showing mixtures of microbes on culture plates.
- Time-lapsed photography of microbial interactions or in situ sites.
- Digital videos depicting any aspect of the microbial world from basic structures and movement to microorganisms in all environments: clinical and ecological.
- Digital videos of field work, including disease outbreaks.
- Animations of microbial processes.
- Web- or computer-based educational materials.
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ASM's Ten Most Wanted List identifies the content gaps that the Visual Collection Editorial Committee has deemed the ten most critically needed themes, microbial processes, methods, or images.
· Animations
· Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages)
· Bioprocesses
· Bioremediation
· Clinical images of fungi
· Clinical images of viruses
· Extremophiles and extreme environments
· Food and dairy fermentations
· Microbial genetics
· Nutrient cycling
· Videos
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II. Deadlines
Materials are received on a continual basis. Reviews are conducted three times each year in March, July, and November. Accepted visual resources are published in June, October, and February.
III. Review Criteria
All submitted items are peer reviewed and selected for scientific accuracy, instructional value, and visual quality. Legends are important for faculty when deciding how the resource is to be used in their courses. Therefore, the image, animation, or video clip and its corresponding legend are required for a submission to be complete. Specifically, submissions are reviewed for 1) scientific accuracy and completeness, 2) visual quality and clarity, 3) instructional value, and 4) adherence to core theme.
MicrobeLibrary reviewers use a rubric when reviewing a visual resource submission.
IV. Editorial Policy and Copyright
Materials submitted must be original works or copyright free. ASM requires prospective authors to grant ASM the nonexclusive world rights and license to reproduce, publish, and distribute the visual resources in any and all media. Copyright of the material remains with the author and ASM agrees to give authors appropriate credit in all ASM reproductions, copies, and publications of the materials.
Visual resources for MicrobeLibrary come mostly from two extensive resources of ASM, its members and publications; however, items from sources such as other scientists and educators, journalists, artists, and illustrators are always welcome.
New Materials. The majority of materials included in MicrobeLibrary are new and have not been published previously in ASM publications. ASM members are encouraged to peruse their private collections of teaching and learning resources and submit a few representative samples.
Materials from Microbe (previously ASM News). Another important source of materials is Microbe. The original photographs are not consistently available from the Microbe editor. Individuals who have published previously in Microbe are asked to submit:
- duplicate image of excellent quality, not a photocopy.
- copy of published Microbe article.
- submission form.
- copyright agreement form for the MicrobeLibrary.
ASM will cite the appropriate issue for all materials previously published in Microbe.
V. Submission Instructions
Visual submissions are submitted by e-mail as an attachment.
E-mail to: MicrobeLibrary@asmusa.org Write "Visual Submission" in subject line.
VI. Formatting Requirements
The Image: Still images, Animations and Movies are cataloged in Visual Resources
The images must meet formatting requirements (see below) and be accompanied by a legend (see legend requirements below).
Image Format Requirements
Acceptable formats for visual resources are listed below.
-Format: original unlabeled image and labeled copy of original image in high quality jpeg format.
-Size: Less than 200K
-Resolution: 72 dpi. If you have high resolution images place them on a compact disk and mail the disk to:
American Society for Microbiology, Education Department - MicrobeLibrary Visual Resources, 1752 N Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2904.
-Dimensions: To prevent distorting, please maintain a 1:1 ratio. The actual dimensions are less important. Most images have a range between 250-400 pixels.
-Format: original unlabeled image and labeled copy of original image in high quality tiff or jpeg format.
-Resolution: 180 to 300 dpi.
-Dimensions: No less than 1600 x 1200 pixels.
- Streaming Videos: All streaming videos should be in the latest version of QuickTime compatible format. For low resolution, dimensions should be 320x240 and the streaming bit rate should be no more than 250 kilobits per second. For high resolution, dimensions should be 480x360 and the streaming bit rate should be no more than 500 kilobits per second.
Still images must be crisp and clear and easy to visualize.
-Submit original unlabeled image and labeled copy of original image.
-Labels are required to highlight to the viewer particular attributes of the image.
-Image size scale bars are appreciated in images but not required.
Animations and videos must portray scientific content clearly and accurately throughout the animation or video. Videos should be edited so as to be of reasonable length to easily download and view.
Legend Format Requirements. All Categories must be included for a submission to be considered complete.
1. Authors:
Include name and affiliation of all authors. All contacts from MicrobeLibrary will be made with the corresponding author.
2. Figure Description:
Describe submission in one short concise sentence. If the submission includes more than one visual resource, the title and short description must be inclusive. (i.e., give the organism and stain, organism and type of microscopy).
Examples:
Gram Stain of Staphylococcus aureus.
Gram stain of upper digestive tract biopsy sample showing Heliobacter pylori.
Flash animation of immunoprecipitation method.
Phase contrast micrograph of the Basidiomycete Yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.
MicrobeLibrary will also use these short figure descriptions as the descriptions that appear in MicrobeLibrary search results.
3. Detailed Description:
Concisely describe the important features of the image. The target audience is Biology students and Biology Instructors at Undergraduate Institutions. The description must refer specifically to important features of the visual resource.
If the visual resource is an animation, the description must include a “voice over” to the action of the animation, providing information that explains the action of the animation.
For submissions with more than one visual resource, this section must be divided into distinct detailed descriptions (figure legends) labeled Figure 1, Figure 2 etc.
Example for still image description:
Figure 1 is a scanning electron micrograph image of a transverse section of the surface (0 to 1 mm) of a microbial mat from Solar Lake, Sinai, Egypt. Visible are the filaments (cross section) of M. chthonoplastes (M) and the surrounding sheath material, which is devoid of any other bacteria. Just outside the sheath are a host of unidentified microorganisms.
Example for animation description:
See the detailed description of this resource: The Gram Stain: An Animated Approach
4. Method:
For micrographs and photographs: Describe the method of sample preparation and image capture. If a non-standard method was used, cite the appropriate reference articles that give details of the method. If an unpublished method was used, provide details of the sample preparation. Explain all scientific terms; do not use abbreviations (until after defined).
For drawings and animations: Give the method used to draw the image or develop the animation.
For videomicroscopy and videos: In the case of videomicroscopy, describe the method of sample preparation, the type of microscopy utilized (bright-field, phase-contrast, dark-field, etc.), and the brand and model of the microscope/video camera setup used to make the video. For all videos, give the file format in which the video was saved and the type of software, if any, used to create the movie and any accompanying voiceover.
Examples for still images:
Example 1:
Dark field microscopy was used to visualize this pure culture of Borrelia burgdorferi. Note that dark-field microscopy allows visualization of these tightly curled spiral bacteria that do not stain well with conventional bacterial stains. Taken from the MicrobeLibrary submission found at this link: Morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi
Example 2:
Image shows Lactobacillus sp. adhering to a vaginal epithelial cell within a sample of vaginal fluid. Vaginal fluid was collected with a cotton swab. The swab was rolled on to a slide and stained according to the standard Gram Stain.. Taken from the MicrobeLibrary submission found at this link: Host Defense Mechanisms: Adherence to Vaginal Epithelial Cells by Lactobacillus sp.
Example 3:
For the scanning electron micrograph, E. coli cells were grown to log phase and mixed with unidentified phage from the Ithaca, N.Y., city sewage treatment plant. Cells were dehydrated in ethanol and dried under CO2. The samples were then coated with gold/palladium. Taken from the MicrobeLibrary submission found at this link: Phage Infected Escherichia coli Cells
Example for animation:
Flash animation was used to construct this animation.
5. Relevance (Instructional Value)
Briefly describe the relevance of this submission.
For example:
-If the organism is a pathogen, indicate the clinical significance.
-If the organism is from an environmental sample or of importance in industry, indicate the ecological or industrial significance.
-If the subject of the submission is of research significance, indicate the significance.
-This section will guide instructors and students in the educational use of this image. Provide references from peer reviewed articles if needed. References should be cited as in an ASM Journal publication (see item 7).
Example 1:
Anabaena is a common filamentous cyanobacterial genus capable of utilizing atmospheric nitrogen (N2) through the process of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation provides a competitive advantage to these bacteria when there is little other nitrogen available. Nitrogen fixation is confined to specialized, thick-walled, poorly-pigmented cells called heterocysts, which are dispersed along the filaments. Most species of Anabaena are confined to freshwater, where they can grow as dense blooms in response to high concentrations of nutrients (especially phosophorus). Blooms may be directly toxic to animals ranging from zooplankton to humans. Blooms can also stimulate the consumption of oxygen, leading to anoxic conditions (oxygen depletion). These changes may ultimately alter food web structure and function. Taken from the MicrobeLibrary submission found at this link: Anabaena Cyanobacteria
Example 2:
Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete bacterium that multiplies in ticks and is spread to mice and white-tailed deer by the bite of an infected Ixodes scapularis tick. Humans are an accidental host in this life cycle when infected by ticks. The disease that arises after infection, Lyme disease, is named after the town in Connecticut where the disease was identified after an outbreak of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children occurred. One hallmark of the infection is a rash at the site of the tick bite that looks like a bull's-eye.
Taken from the MicrobeLibrary submission found at this link: Morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi
6. Core Theme
Choose from a list of MicrobeLibrary core themes that are relevant to the submission.
Core Themes:
Theme 1: Microbial cell biology
Theme 2: Microbial genetics
Theme 3: Microorganisms and humans
Theme 4: Microorganisms in the environment
Theme 5: Microbial evolution and diversity
Theme 6: Teaching and learning
7. Reference Section
Include any references in this section. Please follow the ASM Style Guide when referencing materials.
VII. Sample Visual Resource
Please view the 2005 Editors Choice award winners for samples of exemplary submissions:
The Gram Stain: An Animated Approach
Daniel Cavanaugh and Mark Keen
Multibudding in Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous Cells Under Hydric and Nitrogen Stress
Carlos Echavarri-Erasun
VIII. Visual Collection Editorial Review Committee
Susan Bagley, Editor-in-Chief
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Mich.
stbagley@mtu.edu
Rebecca Buxton
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
rebecca.buxton@path.utah.edu
Gary Kaiser
The Community College of Baltimore County
Baltimore, Md.
gkaiser@cccbcmd.edu
Mary L. Spratt
2009-2010 Ad hoc Reviewers
Mary Boyle, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, VT
Tammy Renee, Alfred State College, Alfred, NY
Elaine Brunschwig, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH
Ellen Duffy, Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany, NY
Luti Erbeznik, Oakland Community College Highlands Lake, Waterford, MI
Ann Findley, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA
Ann Marie Furdock, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, PA
Diane Hartman, Baylor University, Waco, TX
Jan Hudzicki, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
Vicki Huffman, Potomac State College, Keyser, WV
Michael Hyman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Amy Jessen-Marshall, Otterbein College, Westerville, OH
Jeanne Kagle, Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA
Rebecca Kapley, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH
John Lennox, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Paul Lepp, Minot State University, Minot, ND
Christine Litwin, University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT
Suzanne Long, Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY
Mary Lux, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Lawrence McGill, ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT
Kimberly Metere, Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC
Sabine Rech, San Jose State University, Santa Cruz, CA
Michael Summers, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
Scott Wright, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
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