MRI: Acquisition of a CytoViva enhanced microscope with hyperspectral imaging capability for multidisciplinary research and education in nanotechnology

纳米科学和技术在与工程相关的基础研究中发挥着越来越大的作用（例如，机械、生物医学）和科学（例如，化学、生物学）学科。为了能够观察和控制纳米级的现象，研究人员需要配备适当的工具。该奖项将有助于获得用于可视化非常小尺寸样品的专用显微镜。马歇尔大学的学生和教师将使用这种显微镜在一系列重要的研究项目中获得基础知识。这些包括研究血管中的钙存款，检测人体细胞中的有毒纳米颗粒，水处理以去除污染，以及药物制造。这一尖端仪器将大大推进至少五名教师的学术生涯和研究成果。超过100名大多数代表性不足的学生将在教师指导下，在讲座、实验室模块和演示期间接受现代工程和科学学科的培训。在本科和研究生课程中纳入纳米科学和技术将有助于培养未来的劳动力，特别是在西弗吉尼亚州不断发展的生物技术竞技场。该奖项使马歇尔大学能够购买CytoViva增强型高信噪比暗场光学显微镜，并集成了高光谱成像系统。该工具将用于解决该大学高度多学科的纳米科学和纳米技术研究项目中的基本知识差距。该显微镜产生非常高的信噪比，使散射检测纳米级材料高达十倍以上的标准暗场光学。该技术可以对无标记的纳米颗粒进行成像，无需样品制备。无标记的纳米级材料可以根据其在目标环境中的独特光谱特性进行光谱识别。该显微镜将使马歇尔学院的生物医学和机械科学与工程，以加快他们的研究贡献，并通过创新的实验室演示和研究与教学的整合，提高教学。研究人员将利用该仪器的能力来检查细胞分化等现象，了解银纳米颗粒的环境暴露，使用表面固定等离子体传感器对RNA进行无标记定量，水处理中的纳米颗粒聚集，和布朗运动和纳米流体的聚集。该项目由重大研究仪器计划和既定计划共同资助，以刺激竞争性研究（EPSCoR）。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Nanoscience and technology are playing an increasing role in fundamental research related to the engineering (e.g., mechanical, biomedical) and scientific (e.g., chemistry, biology) disciplines. To be able to observe and control phenomena at nanoscale, researchers need to be equipped with appropriate tools. This award will facilitate the acquisition of a specialized microscope used to visualize samples at very small dimensions. Students and faculty at Marshall University will use this microscope to gain fundamental knowledge in a range of important research projects. These include investigating calcium deposit in blood vessels, detecting toxic nanoparticles in human cells, water treatment to remove contamination, and in pharmaceutical manufacturing. This cutting-edge instrument will significantly advance the academic careers and research output of at least five faculty members. More than 100 mostly underrepresented students will be trained, under faculty mentorship, in modern engineering and scientific disciplines both during lectures, laboratory modules, and demonstrations. The incorporation of nanoscience and technology in the undergraduate and graduate curriculum will help training the future workforce, especially in the growing biotechnology arena in West Virginia.This award enables Marshall University to purchase a CytoViva enhanced, high signal-to-noise darkfield optical microscope with an integrated hyperspectral imaging system. This instrument will be used to address fundamental knowledge gaps in highly multidisciplinary nanoscience and nanotechnology research projects at the university. The microscope produces a very high signal-to-noise ratio, enabling scatter detection of nanoscale materials at up to ten times greater than standard darkfield optics. The technology can image label-free nanoparticles and requires no sample preparation. Label-free nanoscale materials can then be spectrally identified based on their unique spectral properties within their target environment. The microscope will enable Marshall faculty in biomedical and mechanical science and engineering to accelerate their research contributions and improve teaching through innovative laboratory demonstrations and the integration of research and pedagogy. Researchers will use the instrument’s capability to examine phenomena such as cell differentiation, understanding the environmental exposure to silver nanoparticles, label-free quantitation of short nucleic acids using Surface immobilized plasmonic sensors for RNA, nanoparticle aggregation in water treatment, and Brownian motion and aggregation of nanofluids.This project is jointly funded by the Major Research Instrumentation Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.