Development of a Dielectrophoretic Force Scanning Probe Microscope for Non-Contact Biological Imaging

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。普渡大学的Garth Simpson教授、Gregory Hockerman教授和Chengde Mao教授将利用化学研究仪器与设施：仪器开发（CRIF:ID）项目获得的这一奖项，开发一种基于介电泳力的新型扫描探针显微镜。他们将开发的显微镜将使研究小组能够探测纳米级和生物样品的表面，而不需要探针尖端接触样品。从事该项目的研究生研究人员将与普渡大学校园内的乔纳森·艾米化学仪器设施合作。该项目还受益于与扫描探针显微镜制造商Veeco仪器的合作。辛普森教授和他的同事将利用该奖项开发的显微镜作为与更广泛社区开展外展活动的主题，与许多校园项目合作，包括普渡大学探索公园的宾德利生物科学项目。新型显微技术开辟了崭新的研究途径。与该奖项开发的仪器将使一种新的力显微镜成为可能，与其他种类的力显微镜不同，它不需要探针和样品之间的接触。在这个奖项中开发的技术将有助于化学、生物技术和材料科学的未来发展。此外，参与该项目的年轻科学家将接受实用教育，如何将新的科学设备从实验台推向市场。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Instrument Development (CRIF:ID) programs, Prof. Garth Simpson, Gregory Hockerman and Chengde Mao of Purdue University will develop a new kind of scanning probe microscope, based upon the dielectrophoretic force. The microscope that they will develop will allow the team to probe the surfaces of nanoscopic and biological samples without contact of the probe tip with the sample. The graduate student researchers working on this project will collaborate with the Jonathon Amy Facility for Chemical Instrumentation on the Purdue University campus. The project also benefits from collaborations with Veeco instruments, a manufacturer of scanning probe microscopes. Prof. Simpson and his colleagues will use the microscope developed in this award as a topic for outreach activities with the wider community, partnering with a number of on-campus programs, including the Bindley Biosciences Program in Purdue's Discovery Park.New kinds of microscopy techniques open up brand new avenues of research. The instrument developed with this award will enable a new kind of force microscopy, which, unlike other kinds of force microscopies, does not require contact between probe and sample. Technology like that developed in the present award will aid in future advances in chemistry, biotechnology and materials science. In addition, the young scientists working on this project will receive a practical education on bringing new scientific devices from the bench-top to the marketplace.