Scanning Electron Microscope for Systematic Biology

一台变压扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、一台临界点干燥机和一台溅射镀膜机将用于不同生物群的系统生物学研究。 这种扫描电镜将用于收集各种各样的活的和不存在的生物体的形态学数据。 该设备连同现有的解剖和光学显微镜、用于显微镜的CCD数码相机、扫描仪和计算机工作站将用于在乔治华盛顿大学生物科学系建立核心显微镜和图像分析设施。 访问SEM是必不可少的，以实现六个研究小组（其中四个与积极的项目目前由NSF资助）在生物科学和人类学系在乔治华盛顿大学的目标。 目前，至少有七名教师，两名博士后和17名研究生将使用这种仪器。以下研究项目将使用建议书中描述的SEM设备：蜘蛛类的系统学;显花植物的进化历史;骨骼组织生长的SEM分析;纤毛虫原生动物的系统学;恐龙和其他中生代爬行动物的解剖学和生殖系统;以及受精的ostarioprophans鱼类的精子，精子和第二性器官的SEM分析。在接下来的三年里，这些研究人员及其合作者和学生将不得不在本提案中描述的研究项目过程中拍摄大约21，000张SEM显微照片。

Abstract Hormiga A variable pressure scanningelectron microscope (SEM), a critical point dryer and a sputter coater will be used forresearch in the systematic biology of various groups of organisms. This SEMwill be used to collect morphological data of a wide variety of living andextinct organisms. This equipment, together with existing dissecting andlight microscopes, a CCD digital camera for microscopy, scanners andcomputer workstations will be used to establish a core microscopy and imageanalysis facility in the Department of Biological Sciences at GeorgeWashington University. Access to SEM is essential to accomplish the goalsof six research groups (four of them with active projects currently fundedby NSF) in the departments of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at TheGeorge Washington University. At present at least seven faculty, twopostdocs, and 17 graduate students will be using this instrument. The following research projects will use the SEMfacility described in the proposal: Systematics of araneoid spiders; Evolutionary history of flowering plants; SEM analysis of skeletal tissue growth;Systematics of Ciliated Protista; Anatomy andphylogeny of dinosaurs and other mesozoic reptiles; andSEM analysis of spermatozoa, spermatozeugmata, and secondary sex organs ofinseminating ostariophysan fishes. Over the next three years these researchers andtheir collaborators and students will have to take an estimated 21,000 SEMmicrographs in the course of the research projects described in thisproposal.