SHARED ELECTRON MICROSCOPE WITH CRYO-CAPACITY

请求提供资金以购置一台最先进的具有低温能力的透射电子显微镜。该仪器包将由来自化学和生物化学，微生物学，生物学，兽医和分子生物学以及植物科学部门的各种高产科学家组成。在过去的10年里，蒙大拿州立大学博兹曼校区的研究活动增加了五倍。与此同时，对TEM时间和容量的需求也有所增加。在过去的6年中，对生物TEM服务的需求增加了三倍。不幸的是，我们目前无法满足TEM服务的需求。此外，现有的TEM容量已经使用了近20年，并且缺乏无法升级的低温能力。新的低温TEM设施对MSU研究界的两个显著优势是：1）为许多生物应用提供急需的扩展容量，以执行低温TEM; 2）为快速扩展的MSU研究界提供强大可靠的TEM容量。建议的低温TEM包的具体优点包括：冷冻固定的标本允许其结构和化学成分保持接近其自然状态。扩大成像能力，包括基于CCD的数字成像和通过放映室的荧光屏和平板胶片直接成像。进一步扩展TEM能力的能力，包括光谱分析和光谱成像（STEM、EDS和EELS探测器和能量过滤器）。总之，收购具有低温能力的最先进的TEM将直接影响本提案中包括的研究人员的研究，以及来自MSU校园各部门的大量二级研究人员。这将使这些杰出的研究人员能够跟上冷冻TEM在生物研究中不断扩大的使用。

Funds are requested to acquire a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope (TEM) with cryo capacity. This instrument package will be used by a diverse group of highly productive scientists form the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Veterinary and Molecular Biology, and Plant Sciences. During the past 10 years there has been a five-fold increase in the research activity at the Montana State University-Bozeman campus. Concatenate with this increase has been an increase in demand for TEM time and capacity. During the past 6 years there has been a three-fold increase in demand for biological TEM services. Unfortunately we are currently not able to meet the demand for TEM services. Moreover, the existing TEM capacity is nearly 20 years old and lacks cryo ability which cannot be upgraded. The two significant advantages of a new cryo TEM facility to the MSU research community are 1) to provide a much needed expanded capacity to perform cryo TEM for numerous biological applications 2) to provide a robust and reliable TEM capacity for a rapidly expanding MSU research community. The specific advantages of the proposed cryo TEM package include: Cryo-fixation of the specimens allows its structure and chemical composition to be maintained close to its natural state. Expanded imaging capacity to include CCD-based digital imaging and direct imaging through the projection chamber's fluorescent screen and platefilm. The ability to further expand the TEM capacity to include spectrum profiling and spectrum imaging (STEM, EDS, and EELS detectors and energy filters). In summary, the acquisition of a state-of-the-art TEM with cryo capacity will directly impact the research of the investigators included in this proposal, as well as a large group of secondary investigators from departments across the MSU campus. This will enable these outstanding researchers to keep pace with the expanding use of cryo-TEM in biological research.