Acquisition of a Scanning Probe Microscope for Reseach and Teaching

在道格拉斯丹尼斯博士的指导下，亚利桑那州立大学获得了一笔赠款，用于部分支持采用原子力显微镜的研究。 这项研究将由来自三个机构的科学家进行，亚利桑那州立大学西校区，中西部大学和太阳健康研究所。 项目包括在细菌中发现的polyhydroxyalkanaote细胞内内含物的结构，一个关于带电人工底物周围DNA分子弯曲的项目，通过酶解旋酶对DNA解旋的分析，以及对阿尔茨海默病患者中β淀粉样蛋白斑块结构负责的肽成像的工作。 所有四个研究项目将大大促进了原子力显微镜的收购使用该奖项的资金。由于目前在纳米技术的兴趣，和容易与原子力显微镜可以利用，它也将在亚利桑那州立大学在材料科学实验室的基础化学课程，以及介绍性生物实验室，为学生提供纳米级生物标本的实时图像。 该仪器还将用于为高级高中理科学生提供访问亚利桑那州立大学和体验世界现实的机会，同时也证明了高水平的科学研究可以相对容易地由学生发起。最终，该项目将通过提供对纳米技术的关注，并为那些希望从事分子生物学的学生提供资源，这些研究人员包括高级研究人员，以及其他机构的研究人员，他们了解原子力显微镜的功能并希望在他们的研究中使用它。

A grant has been awarded to Arizona State University under the direction of Dr. Douglas Dennis for partial support of research employing an atomic force microscope. The research will be conducted by scientists from three institutions, Arizona State University at the west campus, Midwestern University, and Sun Health Research Institute. Projects include work on the structure of polyhydroxyalkanaote intracellular inclusions found in bacteria, a project on the bending of DNA molecules around charged artificial substrates, an analysis of the unwinding of DNA by the enzyme, helicase and work on imaging the peptides that are responsible for beta amyloid plaque structure in Alzheimer's patients. All four research projects will be greatly facilitated by the acquisition of an atomic force microscope using funds from this award.Because of the current interest in nanotechnology, and the ease with which an atomic force microscope can be utilized, it will also be employed at ASU in basic chemistry courses for materials sciences laboratories, as well as introductory biology laboratories to provide students with real-time images of biological specimens at the nanoscale. The instrument will also be used to provide opportunities for advanced high school science students to visit ASU and experience the realities of the nanoworld, as well as demonstrate that high-level scientific research can be initiated by students with relative ease.Ultimately the project will benefit the northwest part of Phoenix by providing a focus on nanotechnology and serving as a resource for those students wishing to engage in molecular-level research, as well as researchers at other institutions that learn of the capabilities of an atomic force microscope and want to employ it in their research.