Facilities Upgrades to the Geomicrobiology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory at Portland State University

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0318506CadyThis grant supports upgrades to the geomicrobiology and electron microscope facilities available to researchers at Portland State University. Specific equipment to be acquired included a Gatan ion beam etching/coating systems for cleaning and conductively coating samples prior to electron beam microanalysis, a Gatan tilt-rotate cryotransfer high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) stage, a high resolution film scanner, image analysis software and a photographic quality printer. The equipment will support research both within the Department of Geology and across campus. The equipment will also support graduate, undergraduate and K-12 student exposure to electron microscopy techniques that are crucial for emerging nanoscience research initiatives. Research by faculty in the Geology Department will focus on studies of hyperthermophilic biofilms and biogeochemical cycling in iron-rich hot springs. Learning to recognize microbial biosignatures in natural materials from extreme environments has implications for our understanding of the evolution of life on earth. Micro and nanoscale techniques for investigating microbial mineralization processes in extreme environments also offers potential for discovering trace fossils of extraterrestrial biotic activity.***