MRI: Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope with integrated EDS, WDS, and EBSD for research and undergraduate research training

1626271页这一重大研究仪器(MRI)计划奖支持购买配备能量色散光谱仪的扫描电子显微镜，以允许对固体地球、生物和合成材料进行微尺度纹理和成分成像。该仪器将支持奥伯林学院的教师研究和本科生研究培训。鉴于培训下一代科学工作者掌握现代微量分析技术和研究方法的重要性，这种支持与国家科学基金会促进科学进步和促进国家健康、繁荣和福利的使命是一致的。使用该仪器的教师研究也将具有社会意义，包括对抗药性细菌的研究和对断层岩的研究，这将有助于提高对地震破裂物理学的理解。此次收购将促进的具体研究包括抗药性细菌生物膜的调查，无机-有机杂化网络结构的研究，高压和超高压变质岩中石榴石成斑岩中元素分带的表征，以阐明变质历史，海洋软体动物的古生态，以及碳酸盐断层岩和变形石英岩中的矿物组构研究，以了解断裂带的变形过程。

1626271PageThis Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program award supports acquisition of a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer to allow microscale textural and compositional imaging of solid earth, biological, and synthetic materials. The instrument will support faculty research and undergraduate research training at Oberlin College. This support is congruent with NSFs mission of promoting the progress of science and advancing the national health, prosperity and welfare given the importance of training the next generation scientific workforce in modern techniques of microanalysis and research methods. Faculty research using the instrument will also be of societal interest including studies of antibiotic resistant bacteria and studies of fault rocks with implications for improving understanding of the physics of earthquake rupture. Specific research that will be facilitated by the acquisition includes investigations of antibiotic resistant bacterial biofilms, the structures of hybrid inorganic-organic network compounds, characterization of elemental zoning in garnet porphyroblasts in high and ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks to elucidate metamorphic history, the paleoecology of marine mollusks, and study of mineral fabrics in carbonate fault rocks and deformed quartzites to understand deformation processes in fault zones.***