(1) Knoll and Ruska Explanation: It is widely accepted that the first prototype of an electron microscope was built by Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll in 1931; it was not more powerful than an optical microscope, but it demonstrated the principle that is still used in today's sophisticated and powerful instruments, and earned its builders a share of a Nobel Prize. An electron microscope uses a beam of electrons to illuminate a specimen and produce a magnified image.