Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope and CCD Camera

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This award provides partial support for the acquisition of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to be housed in a multi-user microscopy facility at the Storrs campus of the University of Connecticut. This purchase will ensure continued TEM availability and provide new capabilities to enhance and expand both research and research training. The instrument will be used in research projects of at least eleven investigators. The expertise of the major user group ranges from evolutionary biology to materials science; all are currently using the TEM to address questions at the cutting edge of their fields. The group includes both senior investigators with well-established programs and junior faculty depending on TEM for their career development. Research projects include: (1) fundamental aspects of the way cells in the brain communicate, (2) systematics and evolutionary diversity amongst parasitic flatworms, (3) interactions between proteins that are responsible for contraction in muscle cells, (4) design of new materials to be used in semiconductors, ceramics, batteries and fuel cells, (5) salt resistant plant studies, (6) clearance of chemical contaminants from the brain, (7) sporulation and cellulose degradation in bacteria, and (8) pathogen-host interactions. Demonstrations of TEM principals and practice are a regular part of a number of existing courses for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. The new instrument will allow larger groups to be accommodated, increasing the number of courses that can benefit from these demonstrations, and will allow more effective instruction in TEM methodology.