[1] A cohort of biologists and science educators, the AMS's members use a wide array of microscopical techniques including (light microscopy, electron microscopy, fluorescence and confocal microscopes) to further their research and eventually publish their research in its journal Invertebrate Biology.
[1] Founded in 1878 as an outgrowth of the first National Microscopical Congress, the first members of the AMS were biologists, medical doctors, and dentists interested in incorporating light microscopy into their clinical work.
[2] During this time period, the compound microscope was a new technology and the AMS was purposed with exploiting its possibilities in the fields of medicine and bacteriology.
[2] Simon Henry Gage, the author of a book on the microscope with 17 editions published between 1880 and 1943, served as the AMS president twice.
[2][4] At its inception, these publications welcomed research about the practical applications of microscopy on a range of biological fields including study of protozoa, algae, fungi, vascular plants, bacteria, invertebrates, and vertebrate histology and cytology.
[2][5] The current research goals of Invertebrate Biology describes its research goals as spanning the fields of "morphology and ultrastructure, genetics and phylogenetics, evolution, physiology and ecology, neurobiology, behavior and biomechanics, reproduction and development" and includes "cell and molecular biology related to all types of invertebrates: protozoan and metazoan, aquatic and terrestrial, free-living and symbiotic".
[6] The AMS guidelines specify that discussions of taxonomy as strictly complementary to these research goals, and should function as a secondary component.
[11] The AMS microscopy training fellowship funds are for support of graduate students and faculty members at the beginning of their careers.