MRI: Acquisition of a room-temperature transmission electron microscope for FSU

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An award is made to Florida State University to support the purchase of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The new system will replace an antiquated system and allow for active research by faculty across the FSU campus and in the surrounding region. The new TEM will modernize Florida State University’s shared specimen screening instrumentation to streamline sample optimization for final imaging on higher-resolution cryo-TEM systems. The new TEM will also expand the service capabilities of the Biological Science Imaging Resource, where the TEM will be housed. Student training will also be advanced by the new system through the development of a hands-on laboratory course that uses TEM imaging and enhanced usage by undergraduates working on research projects. The availability of the new system will improve training for the next generation of researchers from among the very diverse students at FSU, and through the use of the TEM by students in summer research programs. The new TEM will support high-resolution structural studies by allowing researchers to easily screen negatively stained samples, a necessary step on the way to cryo-EM structure determination. The major users’ research programs are diverse and supported by extramural funding for studying topics that include: mechanisms for biogeochemical cycling of sulfur; structural studies of large GTPAses; bacteriophages of rhizobial bacteria and the role of rhizobial molecular determinants in plant host invasion efficiency; understanding molecular motors in contractile tissues, and the development of tools and methods for high-throughput 3D electron microscopy. Results from the research performed with this instrumentation will be disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific journal publications and at scientific meetings.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.