MRI: Acquisition of a Carl Zeiss EVO SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) at Lafayette College

拉斐特学院因其功能强大且易于使用的Carl Zeiss EVO扫描电子显微镜（SEM）而获奖，该显微镜可用于多个学科的多个项目-生物学、化学和生物分子工程、土木工程、环境科学、地质学、神经科学和物理学。 拉斐特是一个小型的文科和工程本科院校，以高影响力的本科生研究参与而自豪。 社会效益包括培训下一代科学家，教他们批判性地思考与基于问题的学习模块使用EVO。 科学地平线计划是一项为期一年的导师计划，为来自代表性不足的人口的学生提供暑期研究机会，将确保这些好处由不同的学生群体实现。 此外，EVO将用于高中生的外联活动，鼓励他们考虑从事科学和工程研究。EVO的收购至关重要，因为它将提高教师和本科生合作者在众多不同项目上的研究生产力。 EVO将允许使用几种不同的检测模式，包括电子显微镜和光学显微镜的相关性，在纳米级对各种材料（生命和非生命）进行成像。 EVO的使用将导致新的发现，了解海龟眼睛组织的光感受机制，磁性纳米粒子集合体的物理基础，以及通过详细分析辅助矿物的岩浆系统的历史。 EVO的其他研究包括表征组织工程应用中的“智能”生物材料，检查生物膜及其基底之间的相互作用以设计包容系统，研究斑马鱼中的机械转导机制，研究纳米线合成，以及分析宽带隙半导体缺陷的单光子发射。 由教师和本科生共同作者完成的这些研究项目的结果将在同行评议的出版物和地区，国家和国际科学会议上传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

An award is made to Lafayette College for a powerful and easy-to-use Carl Zeiss EVO scanning electron microscope (SEM) to do several projects spanning multiple disciplines – biology, chemical and biomolecular engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, geology, neuroscience, and physics. Lafayette is a small liberal arts and engineering undergraduate institution which prides itself on high-impact undergraduate student research engagement. Societal benefits include the training of the next generation of scientists, teaching them to think critically with problem-based learning modules using the EVO. The Science Horizons Program, a year-long mentorship program for students from underrepresented populations culminating in summer research opportunities, will ensure these benefits are realized by a diverse group of students. Additionally, the EVO will be used in outreach activities for high school students to encourage them to consider careers in science and engineering research.Acquisition of the EVO is critically important as it will enhance research productivity for faculty and undergraduate collaborators on a multitude of diverse projects. The EVO will allow imaging of a variety of materials (living and non-living) at the nanoscale using several different detection modes, including correlation of electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Use of the EVO will lead to new findings on understanding the mechanisms of photoreception by tissues of the eyes in turtles, the physics underlying magnetic nanoparticle ensembles, and the history of magma systems by detailed analysis of accessory minerals. Other research made possible with the EVO includes characterizing “smart” biomaterials for tissue engineering applications, examining interactions between biofilms and their substrates for design of containment systems, studying the mechanisms of mechanotransduction in zebrafish, investigating nanowire synthesis, and analyzing single-photon emission from defects in wide bandgap semiconductors. Results from these research projects completed by faculty and undergraduate student co-authors will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and at regional, national, and international 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.