EA: Upgrade of the X-ray tomographic microscope to expand operations at the University of Missouri X-ray Microanalysis Laboratory

密苏里大学（MU） x射线微分析实验室是一个分析和科学成像设施，由教员PI Selly和Co-PI Schiffbauer管理。虽然能够分析一系列样品，但该设施专门从事古生物标本成像。PI团队由来自MU校园的五位古生物学专家组成。他们的研究涵盖了广泛的主题，从研究鳄鱼的进化史到调查前寒武纪的管状蠕虫。该设施的主要仪器之一是蔡司Xradia 510 Versa x射线断层显微镜（micro-CT），它将升级为功能更强大的610型号，其中包括一个平板扩展探测器系统，两个新的光学物镜和一个更高功率的x射线源。这次升级将使实验室能够更好地满足地球科学研究人员和其他STEM学科的需求，通过容纳更大、更密集的样本，显著提高成像速度，并提高更大的样本分辨率。此外，这些改进将为游客和学生提供更有吸引力的实践体验。现在，成像可以在大大缩短的时间内完成，而不是简单地放置样本并稍后接收数据，从而在教室和车间环境中实现快速和可实现的机会。将直接受益于这一升级的项目包括：对双边机构计划起源的新调查；早寒武纪小壳类化石记录的选择性保存偏差；对比增强扫描研究软组织运动和颅齿系统的演化肌肉骨骼系统的进化；在腐烂过程中软组织退化和特征丧失。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。

The University of Missouri's (MU) X-ray Microanalysis Laboratory is an analytical and scientific imaging facility run by faculty members PI Selly and Co-PI Schiffbauer. While capable of analyzing an array of samples, the facility specializes in imaging paleontological specimens. The PI team consists of five expert paleontology faculty members from across MU's campus. Their research encompasses a wide range of topics, from studying the evolutionary history of crocodiles to investigating Precambrian tube worms. One of the primary instruments in the facility is the Zeiss Xradia 510 Versa X-ray tomographic microscope (micro-CT), which will be upgraded to the more capable 610 model, which includes a flat panel extension detector system, two new optical objectives, and a higher-power X-ray source. This upgrade will allow the lab to better serve the needs of Earth science researchers and those in other STEM disciplines by accommodating larger and denser samples, dramatically enhancing imaging speeds, and improving larger sample resolution size. Moreover, these improvements will offer a more engaging and hands-on experience for visitors and students. Rather than simply dropping off samples and receiving the data later, imaging can now be completed in significantly reduced timeframes, thereby enabling rapid and achievable opportunities in classroom and workshop settings.The projects that will directly benefit from this upgrade include novel investigations into: the origins of the bilaterian body plan; selective preservation bias in the smally shelly fossil record of the earliest Cambrian Period; the evolution of soft-tissue locomotory and craniodental systems using contrast-enhanced scanning; the evolution of musculoskeletal systems; and soft-tissue degradation and feature loss during decay.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.