BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

In the Black
04 July 2018

In the Black

Three million times smaller than an expectant crowd, these tiny needles of black silicon are nevertheless waiting for something. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a common technique used to spot harmful substances, looking for tell-tale chemical fingerprints in potentially carcinogenic or even explosive samples. But this is only possible after the mystery molecules have attached to a microscopic platform, or substrate. There’s a problem though, many substrates used in SERS react in some way with the chemicals they grab on to, clouding accurate analysis. Black silicon is inert – it doesn’t react with chemical samples, making it ideal as a substrate. Pictured here using scanning electron microscopy, its crystalline prongs are just waiting to grab onto something dangerous.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.