MRI: Acquisition of a FE-SEM to Enhance Research and Student Training in Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics, and Engineering at San Francisco State University

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The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the San Francisco State University will acquire a high resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM) with this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. Diverse research areas form the scientific thrust of this proposal. Topics in the Chemistry/Biochemistry department include (a) fundamental studies of charge transport within alkali metal-doped silica zeolite films; (b) the reactions of inorganic environmental pollutants (As, Cr, Pb, Se, and Zn) with metal and metal oxide surfaces. In the Biology department, SEM imaging will be used to study tissue morphogenesis and molecular signaling for early skeletal muscles (myotome) in chicken embryos. In the Geosciences department, SEM will facilitate the study of mineral growth textures, compositional variations in minerals and identification of inclusions to estimate pressures and temperatures of growth/reaction, and zircon growth zoning for UPb dating on an ion microprobe. In the School of Engineering, SEM is an indispensable tool in the research on nanofabrication and characterization of smart nanomaterials with applications in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). A scanning electron microscope is a powerful tool for imaging a wide range of materials including biological specimens (bacterial cells, organelles, plant fibers and tissues), inorganic solids (crystals, minerals, and rocks), and a range of modern synthetic and industrially-derived materials (nano-structured materials, surfaces, thin films, and circuitry). The instrument provides topological and compositional information of these materials. It is an essential analytical tool in research of the properties and behavior of such materials. This instrument will be used by BS and MS students in their research and in laboratory training preparing them for careers in science and engineering with state of the art technology.