Developing new scientific devices pushing the limits of what we can observe and measure does not occur overnight. There are typically baby steps involved, small and continuous improvements to counter the numerous technical hurdles arising on the way. The new state-of-the-art electron microscope developed by Prof. Tsumoru Shintake at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) is no exception to the rule. Through the development of this one-of-a-kind microscope, OIST researchers reported such a crucial step in the journal Microscopy using atom-thin layers of graphene to enhance microscopic images of minuscule viruses.