MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope for Undergraduate Research and Education

MRI：购买原子力显微镜用于本科生研究和教育

• 批准号: 0619826
• 负责人: Dean Waldow
• 金额: $ 18.11万
• 依托单位: Pacific Lutheran University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2009-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0619826&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Atomic; Force; Microscope

Technical AbstractPacific Lutheran University will acquire a new atomic force microscope (AFM). The instrument will consist of a control station, a multi-mode scanning probe microscope, and two probe scanners to allow various modes of acquisition with vertical sample engagement. This state-of-the-art AFM will be used in multiple undergraduate research programs to address a wide range of scientific questions at the nanoscale, including: the investigation of various copolymer additives used in polymer blend thin films where measurements of the surface topology and roughness will aid in the understanding of compatibilization in polymer blends; the study of lipid membrane-bound amphipathic cationic antimicrobial peptides called piscidins resulting in a better understanding of the mechanism of action used by piscidins against pathogens; the characterization of aggregated gold nanoparticles to correlate morphology with surface enhancement factors for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The microscope will be integrated into our undergraduate curriculum and include exposure to nanoscience by first year through fourth year undergraduate students. Lastly, the microscope will also be incorporated into outreach workshops in our department for underrepresented high school students in the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) program.Lay AbstractThe atomic force microscope has become a very important instrument in science and engineering by providing a method to visualize scientific samples on surfaces at the nanoscale. Many current products as well as progress in the development of new materials are directly related to our understanding of the relation between the properties of objects on the human scale compared to structures on the nanoscale. Objects that are on the nanoscale are about 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of a hair. The atomic force microscope is one of the important instruments for this work since it can measure nanoscale features. The microscope will bring the first nanoscience instrument to the chemistry program at Pacific Lutheran University and allow undergraduate students hands-on use of this important instrument. The new atomic force microscope will greatly enhance our students' experiences in their undergraduate research projects as well as in their coursework. The microscope will also be incorporated into outreach workshops that already take place in our laboratories for underrepresented high school students in the Tacoma MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) program. Lastly, examples of research programs using the new instrument include studies leading to: better ability to design high performance plastics; better antimicrobial peptides for the fight against a broad range of pathogens; methods of developing nanoparticles for eventual use in low level detection of compounds.

技术摘要太平洋路德大学将获得一个新的原子力显微镜（AFM）。该仪器将由一个控制站、一个多模式扫描探针显微镜和两个探针扫描仪组成，以便在垂直样本接合的情况下实现各种采集模式。这种最先进的AFM将用于多个本科研究项目，以解决纳米级的广泛科学问题，包括：调查聚合物共混物薄膜中使用的各种共聚物添加剂，其中表面拓扑结构和粗糙度的测量将有助于理解聚合物共混物中的相容性;对脂膜结合的两亲性阳离子抗菌肽（称为piscidins）的研究，从而更好地了解piscidins对抗病原体的作用机制;聚集的金纳米颗粒的表征，以将形态与表面增强拉曼光谱的表面增强因子相关联。显微镜将被整合到我们的本科课程，包括通过第四年本科生第一年接触纳米科学。最后，显微镜也将被纳入外展讲习班在我们的部门为代表性不足的高中学生在梅萨（数学，工程和科学成就）program.Lay摘要原子力显微镜已成为一个非常重要的仪器，在科学和工程提供了一种方法，以可视化的表面上的科学样品在纳米尺度。许多现有的产品以及新材料开发的进展与我们对人类尺度上的物体与纳米尺度上的结构之间的关系的理解直接相关。纳米级的物体大约比头发的直径小1,000倍。 原子力显微镜是这项工作的重要工具之一，因为它可以测量纳米尺度的特征。 该显微镜将为太平洋路德大学的化学课程带来第一台纳米科学仪器，并允许本科生动手使用这一重要仪器。新的原子力显微镜将大大提高我们的学生在他们的本科研究项目以及在他们的课程的经验。 显微镜也将被纳入已经在我们的实验室为塔科马梅萨（数学，工程和科学成就）计划中代表性不足的高中生举办的外展研讨会。最后，使用新仪器的研究项目的例子包括：更好的设计高性能塑料的能力;更好的抗菌肽，用于对抗广泛的病原体;开发纳米颗粒的方法，最终用于低水平检测化合物。