, ▁succeeded ▁in ▁creating ▁a ▁mic ros cope ▁capable ▁of ▁perce iving ▁chemical ▁re actions ▁at ▁the ▁atomic ▁scale . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁advance ▁on ▁conventional ▁micro scop es ▁at ▁this ▁scale , ▁which ▁can ▁only ▁view ▁inn ate ▁material ▁in ▁the ▁" de ad " ▁conditions ▁of ▁a ▁vac u um ▁at ▁room ▁temperature . ▁It ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁atomic ▁resolution ▁environmental ▁transmission ▁electron ▁mic ros cope ▁( ET EM ). ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁colle agues , ▁she ▁built ▁and ▁ref ined ▁the ▁machine ▁over ▁two ▁dec ades , ▁beginning ▁with ▁a ▁lower - resol ution ▁prototype ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁post do ctor al ▁research er ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford . ▁She ▁then ▁spent ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁at ▁chemical ▁firm ▁Du P ont ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Del aware . ▁ ▁Although ▁her ▁mic ros cope ▁is ▁highly ▁valuable ▁to ▁the ▁scientific ▁field , ▁she ▁made ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁not ▁pat ent ▁it , ▁saying , ▁" I ▁thought ▁that ▁if ▁I ▁pat ented ▁it , ▁no ▁one ▁else ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁do ▁work ▁with ▁it . ▁I ▁might ▁ear n ▁some ▁money , ▁but ▁I ▁was ▁not ▁interested ▁in ▁that . ▁I ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁applications ▁for ▁many ▁research ers , ▁creating ▁more ▁fundamental ▁science . ▁So ▁I ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁pat ent ▁it ." ▁ ▁She ▁often ▁advoc ates ▁for ▁women ' s ▁roles ▁in ▁science , ▁and ▁has ▁spoken ▁about ▁the ▁challenge ▁of ▁having ▁children ▁as ▁a ▁woman