MRI: Acquisition of a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Multidisciplinary Research Needs with Undergraduates at Hope College

该主要研究仪器奖支持为霍普学院购买具有低真空，低压，能量色散x射线光谱（EDS）和扫描透射电子显微镜（STEM）功能的场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）。FESEM极大地增强了霍普学院现有的显微镜技术套件，为大量STEM本科生提供现代仪器方面的培训，并将通过同行评审的出版物和会议报告传播不同科学领域的有意义的数据。pi的研究横跨五个系：生物、化学、工程、地质与环境科学、物理。三名合作项目负责人和五名高级人员是早期职业教师。这些设备将加强他们的研究，并为他们的学生提供宝贵的技能，这些学生将成为国家劳动力的重要组成部分。霍普学院的本科生研究人员，其中15%是代表性不足的少数民族，将使用这种先进的设备进行变革性的前沿研究，从而培养STEM人才和劳动力。该仪器将通过向当地公司和学术机构提供先进仪器而产生区域影响。除了合作研究之外，更广泛的受众将通过诸如“探索希望”之类的项目参与进来，该项目每年为2000多名K-12学生和教师提供夏季科学和学年拓展活动。pi将把FESEM整合到探索希望课程中，以便K-12学生可以与仪器互动。这个FESEM将改变霍普学院的研究，加强本科教育，促进社区参与。FESEM允许研究人员研究(a)用于水修复和能源相关应用的多功能纳米材料的合成，(b)可能导致改进太阳能电池的热致变色光伏电池的设计，(c)易于对准和合成响应性液晶聚合物的技术，这将使设计适应性，形状可编程的结构和设备成为可能。(d)用于传感应用的功能化聚合物薄膜的形态差异，(e)磨损对先进润滑方案的形态和组成的影响。此外，FESEM将加强几个领域的环境研究。该仪器将允许调查(a)泥炭地有机物的降解机制，(b)悬浮细颗粒如何影响水质，以及(c)纳米颗粒对动物感官处理和行为的影响。最后，FESEM将使从病毒学到生态学的生物研究项目成为可能。所要求的仪器将提供以下方面的见解：(a)将导致新的治疗策略的病毒复制复合物的结构和形成，(b)在人类健康中发挥基本作用的线粒体遗传学和生物合成途径，(c)中枢神经系统中可能涉及癌症和神经退行性疾病的抗氧化防御途径的调节，(d)枫树在气候变化期间的进化，(e)免疫系统如何影响动物行为，(f)神经元退化和损伤后的修复。FESEM将通过提供高分辨率、高倍率和低真空能力的仪器，提高霍普学院在材料、环境和生物特性方面的研究能力。该仪器提供的数据有望提高出版率，并为那些无法获得类似质量仪器的教师提供成功的资助。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。

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with low-vacuum, low-voltage, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) capabilities for Hope College. The FESEM greatly enhances the current suite of microscopy techniques available at Hope College, provides training to a large number of undergraduate STEM students in modern instrumentation, and will lead to meaningful data in diverse scientific fields disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The PIs' research spans five departments: Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geological & Environmental Sciences, and Physics. Three co-PIs and five Senior Personnel are early-career faculty. This equipment will strengthen their research and provide valuable skills for their students who will become an essential part of the nation’s workforce. Undergraduate researchers at Hope College, 15% of whom are underrepresented minorities, will be using this advanced equipment for transformative, cutting-edge research, thus building STEM talent and workforce. This instrument will have a regional impact by providing access to sophisticated instrumentation to local companies and academic institutions. In addition to collaborative research, a wider audience will be engaged through programs such as ExploreHope, which provides summer science and academic-year outreach activities that reach over 2,000 K-12 students and teachers per year. The PIs will integrate the FESEM into the ExploreHope curriculum so that K-12 students will interact with the instrument. This FESEM will transform research at Hope College, enhance undergraduate education, and promote community engagement.The FESEM allows researchers to investigate (a) the synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials for water remediation and energy-related applications, (b) the design of thermochromic photovoltaics that could lead to improved solar cells (c) techniques for the facile alignment and synthesis of responsive liquid crystalline polymers that will enable the design of adaptive, shape-programmable structures and devices, (d) the morphological differences of functionalized polymer thin films for sensing applications, and (e) the effect of wear on the morphology and composition of advanced lubrication schemes. Additionally, the FESEM will enhance several areas of environmental research. The instrument will allow investigation of (a) the degradation mechanisms at play in organic matter in peatlands, (b) how suspended fine particles affect water quality, and (c) the effects of nanoparticles on sensory processing and behavior in animals. Finally, the FESEM will enable biological research projects from virology to ecology. The requested instrument will provide insight into (a) the structure and formation of viral replication complexes that will lead to novel therapeutic strategies, (b) mitochondrial genetics and biosynthetic pathways that play fundamental roles in human health, (c) regulation of anti-oxidant defense pathways in the central nervous system that may be involved in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, (d) the evolution of maple trees during periods of climatic change, (e) how the immune system influences animal behavior, and (f) neuronal degeneration and repair following damage. The FESEM will increase the research capabilities in materials, environmental, and biological characterization at Hope College by providing an instrument with high-resolution, high magnification, and low-vacuum capabilities. Data provided by this instrument promises to increase the publication rate and funding success for faculty who otherwise have limited access to similar quality instrumentation.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.