MRI: Acquisition of a Libra 120 transmission electron microscope for research enhancement at Skidmore College

斯基德莫尔显微成像中心(SMIC)是一个机构范围内的技术中心，为斯基德莫尔学院的多个科学领域的研究、教学和推广活动提供服务。该项目为中芯国际购买新的透射式电子显微镜提供资金。蔡司Libra 120瞬变电磁仪通过其能量过滤系统提供了增强的分辨率/对比度，通过其电子断层扫描功能提供了三维分析，通过EELS进行了元素分析，并提供了快速数字图像捕获和分析。这一工具增加了斯基德莫尔学院教职员工和学生的研究机会，扩大了教学和外展机会，与奥尔巴尼医学院建立了新的合作网络，并建立了与纽约大都会地区其他财团机构的合作基础设施。该仪器还为本科生在植物生物学、原生生物、微生物学、动物发育生物学和神经科学以及古地质学和物理学等领域提供了显著增强的研究机会。该项目还补充了研究人员已经建立的国家和国际合作，并在纽约首都区的一个本科机构、地区医学院和其他合作实体之间建立了新的、充满活力的联系。这一工具为我们的S3M学生(国家科学基金会S-STEM计划)提供了关于最先进技术的关键培训，并促进了研究竞争力和获得斯基德莫尔最近资助的国家科学基金会预付补助金的高级培训的机会。该项目还加强了外联活动，其中许多活动的重点是在奥尔巴尼、纽约和哈德逊河上游地区的经济困难学校加强K-12年级的教育。该仪器支持的研究和衍生教学材料通过在地区和全国性会议和出版物上的众多师生演示文稿以及斯基德莫尔学院“中芯国际”网站向公众提供。

The Skidmore Microscopy Imaging Center (SMIC), an institution-wide technology center, serves multiple research, teaching and outreach initiatives across the Sciences at Skidmore College. This project provides funding for the purchase of a new transmission electron microscope (TEM) for SMIC. The new instrument, a Zeiss Libra 120 TEM, provides enhanced resolution/contrast through its energy filter system, 3-dimensional analysis through its electron tomography capabilities, elemental analysis via EELS and rapid digital image capture and analysis. This instrument enhances research opportunities for Skidmore College faculty and students, expands teaching and outreach opportunities, establishes a new collaborative network with Albany Medical College, and builds upon a collaborative infrastructure with other consortium institutions within the greater Capital District of New York. This instrument also provides significantly enhanced research opportunities for undergraduates in such areas as plant biology, protistology, microbiology, animal developmental biology and neuroscience as well paleogeology and physics. This project also supplements national and international collaborations already established by the researchers and establishes new and dynamic links between an undergraduate institution, the regional medical college and other partnering entities in the Capital District of New York. This instrumentation provides our S3M students (NSF S-STEM Program) with critical training on state-of-the-art technology as well as facilitates research competitiveness and opportunities for advanced training under Skidmore's recently funded NSF ADVANCE Grant. The project also enhances outreach activities, many of which are focused on educational enhancement at the K-12 levels in economically disadvantaged schools in Albany, New York and the Upper Hudson River region. Research supported by this instrument and derivative teaching materials are made available to the public via numerous faculty-student presentations at regional and national meetings and publications as well as the Skidmore College "SMIC" website.