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Beta-alanine, which is an amino acid like the ones your cells use to make proteins, is found in a cellular molecule called carnosine. It is found in tissues that include muscle and brain. It also sells as a supplement for athletic types who think it can boost their performance. Here, I dissolved in a terrific and drinkable alcohol solvent known as Mezcal. Then I let the alanine recrystallize on a microscope slide as the Mezcal evaporated. What was left was a myriad of astonishing crystalline forms, made visible with a microscope and rendered visually richer by way of optical techniques including the use of polarizing filters and retarders (pieces of plastic that influence the wavelengths of light passing through them).

Throughout his career as a science journalist and writer, Ivan Amato has been adding to his list channels of communication, which include articles, books, poetry, videos, podcasts, live science cafes, and now the one features on this online storefront. It is a kind of microscope art called crystal photomicrography. As Amato sees it, the greatest gift science offers us all is the opportunity to experience awe as science reveals how nature works.