MRI: Acquisition of Confocal Raman Microscope for the Enhancement of Research and Education at Iona College

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program, Iona College will acquire an inverted confocal Raman microscope. A microscope, which combines a Raman spectrometer with a confocal optical microscope, provides qualitative and quantitative vibrational information for structural and molecular analysis of materials at both the microscopic and bulk level. By scanning across a sample with high spatial resolution it provides analytical information on a wide range of samples, including biological matrices. The acquisition will provide training to undergraduate students in the use of this modern analytical tool. It will strengthen research opportunities for students in STEP and CSTEP (Collegiate STEP) programs funded by New York State that encourage underrepresented groups and outreach activities to high school teachers and students.The acquistion is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) studying in-situ microdroplet crystallization; (b) designing nanoparticle intracellular probes and small-molecule delivery/detection devices and probing cellular uptake of the nanocomplexes in situ for synthesis of drug delivery vehicles; (c) elucidating fundamental biotoxicity mechanisms of type-2 alkenes via examination of intracellular tracking of various molecular indicators for prediction of the toxicity of environmental chemicals; and (d) characterizing copper nitrosyls compounds and mechanisms of nitrosylations and denitrosylations to develop denitrosylations and catalysis for environmental/biological applications.