MRI: Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope for Research and STEM Education Across the South Puget Sound

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An award is made to the University of Puget Sound to acquire a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope to advance the nanoscale research of over 18 investigators at three primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs): the University of Puget Sound, the University of Washington–Tacoma, and Pacific Lutheran University. Additionally, the TEM will offer a unique training opportunity for an estimated 200 undergraduate students annually who will use the instrument for research and in laboratory courses at their respective institutions. The procurement of this TEM will enable a collaboratively designed and run summer multimodal microscopy course-based research experience class, in which students across five local institutions will participate. This TEM will also play a central role in collaborative authentic research experiences with an estimated 60-80 local high school students each year.The user-friendly and versatile microscope will be the only TEM in the South Puget Sound and will drive a host of research projects across labs within this region. These projects hold the potential to produce innovative results that could (1) lead to a comprehensive understanding of how bacterial biofilms are created; (2) create crucial new antibodies able to efficiently traverse the blood-brain barrier and remain in the brain; (3) revolutionize the manufacturing of solar cells and LEDs through uniform nanocrystal formation; (4) discover and characterize a novel form of neuronal communication and synapse stability; (5) lead to breakthroughs in bismuth nanoparticle synthesis and their biomolecular interactions; and (6) uncover the link between taste receptor function and motor behavior. This TEM will enable research that will result in numerous high-impact, undergraduate driven publications. Overall, the acquisition of this TEM will have a transformative effect on research and undergraduate education across disciplines and institutions in the South Puget Sound.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.