MRI Acquisition-Advancing plant and fungal research at NYBG with a modern Scanning Electron Microscope

纽约植物园（NYBG）获得一项奖励，以支持购买扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和相关仪器，供大量研究策展人、学生、实习生和访问科学家共享使用。扫描电子显微镜可以产生引人注目的图像，能够轻松地向研究人员和公众传达生命的复杂性。图片和描述性文字将每季度发布在纽约银行集团的社交媒体平台上，以及位于布里顿画廊的纽约银行集团生命之树展览上，该画廊设有公共科学展览。这些图像将说明微观特征如何有助于推断植物和真菌群体之间的关系。此外，展示柜将使用物品（制备样品的存根，使用过的目标等）和图像向公众解释扫描电镜及其用途。新系统对于培养在纽约植物园工作的下一代科学家和研究生也很重要。扫描电子显微镜是NYBG植物和真菌研究的关键组成部分，其重点是识别物种，确定物种之间的进化关系，并比较物种的发展以更好地了解它们的进化。NYBG的研究人员正在努力了解从蕨类植物到红杉，从松露到兰花等植物和真菌物种的进化和系统分类。这项研究包括对从世界各地收集的标本中叶子、花、花粉、根甚至相关共生生物（如真菌）的结构特征进行详细分析。新的可变压力扫描电镜将有助于在大范围的放大倍率下检查这些精致的样品，并使用多种成像模式（例如，反向散射和二次检测）。这种新设备将允许研究人员捕获涂层和未涂层样品的高分辨率图像，以及合并探测器图像的能力。它还允许在各种压力和电压条件下成像。相关软件将使研究人员能够高效地将多个高分辨率图像拼接在一起，并绘制3D地图，为了解和记录植物和真菌的多样性提供新的手段。这些仪器将被安置在一个核心设施中，供大量研究策展人、学生、实习生和访问科学家共享使用。这些研究工作的结果将发表在同行评议的科学期刊上，在科学会议上提出，并用于公共宣传活动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) to support the acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and associated instrumentation for shared use by a large number of research curators, students, interns, and visiting scientists. Scanning electron microscopy can produce striking images that are able to convey the complexity of life easily to researchers and the general public. Images and descriptive text will be posted quarterly on NYBG's social media platforms and on NYBG's Tree of Life Exhibit in the Britton Gallery that houses public science exhibits. These images will illustrate how microscopic characteristics help to infer relationships among groups of plants and fungi. In addition, a display case will use objects (stubs of prepared samples, used targets, etc.) and images to explain SEM and its uses to the general public. The new system will also be important for training the next generation of scientists and graduate students doing work at NYBG. Scanning electron microscopy is a key component of botanical and fungal research at NYBG which is focused on identifying species, determining the evolutionary relationships among species, and comparing the development of species to better understand their evolution. NYBG researchers are working to understand the evolution and systematics of plant and fungal species ranging from ferns to redwoods and from truffles to orchids. The research involves detailed analyses of structural features of leaves, flowers, pollen, roots, and even associated symbiotic organisms (e.g., fungi) in specimens collected from all over the world. The new variable pressure SEM will facilitate examination of these delicate samples at a wide range of magnifications, and using multiple imaging modes (e.g., backscatter and secondary detection). This new equipment will allow researchers to capture high-resolution images of coated and uncoated specimens as well as the ability to merge detector images. It also allows for imaging under a variety of pressure and voltage conditions. The associated software will allow researchers to efficiently and effectively stitch together multiple high-resolution images and to 3D map captured images, providing new means of understanding and documenting plant and fungal diversity. The instruments will be housed in a core facility for shared use by a large number of research curators, students, interns, and visiting scientists. Results from these research efforts will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented at scientific meetings, and used in public outreach activities.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.