How MIC Data at Texas A&M Is Used in Publications

Research conducted at the Texas A&M Microscopy and Imaging Center (MIC) is used in publications across campus and beyond. The center's site states that data acquired at the MIC is being used to further research all over campus and beyond, and it links to a running collection of articles that cite use of the MIC. If you are planning to publish work that relies on MIC instruments, the practical takeaway is to check that collection for examples of how other groups have credited the center, and to describe the specific instrument and center in your methods.

What the MIC says about publication use

The center frames its purpose as promoting cutting-edge research in basic and applied sciences through research and development activities. Its site treats publication use as evidence of that mission: a "News Feed" section and a dedicated page collect articles citing the MIC, and the site invites readers to "Read more of the articles citing use of the MIC here."

Two examples are highlighted on the site:

• Cover art in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering featuring the F20 Materials TEM.
• Confocal imaging used to fluorescently tag a tick kinin neuropeptide that triggers peristalsis and labels tick midgut muscles.

These examples show the range of outputs the center points to: instrument-specific imaging that appears in journal cover art, and biological imaging that supports findings in entomology and physiology.

Why this matters if you use MIC instruments

Publication records serve two purposes for prospective users. First, they show what the instruments have actually produced, which helps you judge whether a given tool fits your project. Second, they give you models for how to write up MIC-acquired data, including how the center and specific instruments are named.

The instruments named on the site include:

If your results come from one of these systems, naming the instrument and the center in your methods is the minimum the site's examples imply. The site does not publish a formal acknowledgment template, so treat the linked articles as your guide rather than a fixed wording.

How to find and use the citation list

1. Go to the MIC site and open the page or news section that collects articles citing the MIC (the site links it as "Read more of the articles citing use of the MIC here").
2. Scan for papers that used the same instrument class as your project — for example, confocal/FLIM work versus TEM or FIB-SEM work.
3. Note how those papers describe sample preparation, instrument settings, and the center itself.
4. Draft your methods and acknowledgments to match that level of detail, then confirm any center-specific requirements with MIC staff before submission.

The expected result is a methods section that identifies the MIC and the instrument precisely enough for readers to locate the facility, plus an acknowledgment consistent with how prior users have credited it.

Common sticking points

• No published template. The site points to example articles rather than a required acknowledgment sentence, so wording varies by paper. Check several examples rather than copying one.
• Instrument naming. The site lists full instrument names (for example, "TFS Helios 5 CX DualBeam CRYO FIB-SEM"). Using the full name avoids ambiguity about which system produced the data.
• Scope of the list. The citation collection is described as covering research "all over campus and beyond," so it is a sample of use, not a complete index of every MIC-supported paper.

For questions about how to credit the center in a specific manuscript, the most reliable step is to contact MIC staff directly; the site does not state a formal policy beyond linking to citing articles.