MRI: Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) for Soft Materials for the Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center (AMIC)

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An award is made to the University of Tennessee Knoxville to support the acquisition of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) for the Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center. The new TEM will be equipped for dual-axis electron tomography, which creates an unprecedented view of the three-dimensional cellular organization. The system will also be equipped with a high-resolution camera to provide a shared platform for diverse innovative projects that depend on advanced imaging capabilities. Most of the research on this instrument will be carried out by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who will gain expertise in modern techniques of high-resolution imaging. The new system will also be the core instrument for advanced imaging course, where students receive research training with significant hands-on time on the TEM. The new instrument will support research projects aimed at deciphering the formation of cell-cell connections in plants, understanding the interactions between bacteria and their animal or plant hosts, and how chromosomes move during different parts of the cell cycle. Other projects will investigate the molecular mechanism of protein import into different cell organelles, or analyze the morphology and assembly of viruses. Researchers in the Chemistry Department will use the instrument to study the nanostructure of advanced materials with a wide range of potential applications. Results from these studies will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented at scientific meetings, and used in public outreach or education events.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.