MRI: Empowering Plant Science Research at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden with High Resolution and Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy Instrumentation

MRI：利用高分辨率和可变压力扫描电子显微镜仪器为兰乔圣安娜植物园的植物科学研究提供支持

• 批准号: 1626618
• 负责人: Lucinda McDade
• 金额: $ 16.5万
• 依托单位: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1626618&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Empowering; Plant; Science; Research

An award is made to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) to acquire modern instrumentation and analytical capacity for the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) laboratory. SEM is one of the principal methods for examination of detailed surface structure (micromorphology) of biological materials. This instrument is of fundamental importance to research and training at RSABG, the largest botanic garden dedicated to California native plants and an important research center for plant comparative biology. Specifically, RSABG will acquire a Hitachi SU3500S Variable Pressure SEM, together with specimen preparation equipment and SEM-image analysis software. Vastly improved SEM capabilities will support research by RSABG faculty, staff scientists and students to further our understanding of the evolution of plant diversity through integrating comparative morphological and anatomical research on plants with cutting-edge molecular methods and phylogenetic analysis. The enhanced view of meristems, surfaces of leaves and stems, floral structures, seeds and pollen grains enabled by SEM imaging expands our knowledge of plant form and function. Notably, for many plant groups, SEM photomicrographs of pollen grains are essential components of species descriptions. In addition, quality SEM micrographs are an important means of effective and exciting visual communication, both in scientific presentations and in formal and informal education. SEM imagery from the Hitachi SEM will enhance our work in plant conservation through enhancing our ability to observe reproduction in rare plants. It will also contribute to public and formal education by providing images that are both beautiful and information-packed to support programming for K-6 and college students, as well as other visitors to RSABG through use of such images in exhibits. The facility will also augment microscopy capabilities available to researchers at the Claremont Colleges.The SU3500S Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope, the Cressington 108 Auto Sputter Coater with an MTM-20 high resolution thickness controller and MountainsMap Universal software represent significant improvements to and expansion of research infrastructure at RSABG. This integrated system will dramatically improve our conventional (i.e., high vacuum) SEM capabilities and also significantly expand our research tool chest by adding (1) higher resolution and magnification than currently achievable, (2) low vacuum capacity and a Peltier cooling stage for observing hydrated, living tissue and (3) sophisticated image analysis software. The low vacuum capabilities of the instrument will expand considerably the research questions that we can address while also ensuring that observations made are accurate. The image analysis software that is a vital part of the package will transform our analytical power to gather data from SEM images: to characterize, quantify and analyze 2D and 3D structure, and to integrate these morphometric data with comparative phylogenetic analyses to advance our knowledge of the patterns of plant evolution.

授予兰乔圣安娜植物园（RSABG）为扫描电子显微镜（SEM）实验室获得现代仪器和分析能力。 SEM是检查生物材料详细表面结构（微观形态）的主要方法之一。该仪器对RSABG的研究和培训至关重要，RSABG是致力于加州本土植物的最大植物园，也是植物比较生物学的重要研究中心。具体而言，RSABG将收购Hitachi SU 3500 S Variable Pressure SEM，以及样品制备设备和SEM图像分析软件。大幅提高SEM能力将支持RSABG教师，工作人员科学家和学生的研究，通过将植物的比较形态学和解剖学研究与尖端分子方法和系统发育分析相结合，进一步了解植物多样性的进化。通过扫描电镜成像，分生组织、叶和茎的表面、花的结构、种子和花粉粒的增强视图扩展了我们对植物形态和功能的认识。值得注意的是，对于许多植物类群，花粉粒的SEM显微照片是物种描述的重要组成部分。此外，高质量的SEM显微照片是有效和令人兴奋的视觉传达的重要手段，无论是在科学演示还是在正式和非正式教育中。日立扫描电镜的扫描电镜图像将通过提高我们观察稀有植物繁殖的能力来加强我们在植物保护方面的工作。它还将通过提供既美丽又信息丰富的图像来支持K-6和大学生的编程，以及通过在展览中使用这些图像来支持RSABG的其他访客，从而为公共和正规教育做出贡献。该设施还将增强克莱蒙学院研究人员可用的显微镜能力。SU 3500 S变压扫描电子显微镜、配有MTM-20高分辨率厚度控制器的Cressington 108自动溅射镀膜机和MountainsMap Universal软件代表了RSABG研究基础设施的重大改进和扩展。这种集成系统将大大改善我们的传统（即，高真空）SEM功能，并通过增加（1）比目前更高的分辨率和放大率，（2）低真空容量和Peltier冷却台，用于观察水合活组织，以及（3）复杂的图像分析软件，显著扩展了我们的研究工具箱。该仪器的低真空能力将大大扩展我们可以解决的研究问题，同时也确保所做的观测是准确的。图像分析软件是软件包的重要组成部分，它将改变我们的分析能力，从SEM图像中收集数据：表征，量化和分析2D和3D结构，并将这些形态测量数据与比较系统发育分析相结合，以提高我们对植物进化模式的认识。