Purchase of a tabletop SEM with EDS detector for multidisciplinary research in oceanography

这项提议是获得一种新的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)，配备能量色散X射线光谱(EDS)探测器，以取代自2020年2月以来停止运行的现有系统。这些新设备将支持由NSERC资助的生物、化学和地质海洋学方面的几个研究项目，以及科学研究所(ISMER)和魁北克大学(UQAR)生物、化学、地理系和工程系的HQP培训活动。在过去的13年里，超过12名研究人员和合作者(2894小时的使用时间)使用了当前的扫描电子显微镜-电子能谱仪，超过55名高素质人员(HQP)接受了使用该设备的培训。此外，抽样分析的结果导致在排名靠前的期刊上发表了32多篇同行评议的出版物。目前的设备由于不再生产的主要电子元件的故障而停止运行，这大大推迟了我们的研究计划。因此，我们正在寻求资金，以获得新的扫描电子显微镜-能谱系统，以进行我们的样本分析。所要求的设备包括SEC SNE4500M外加配备Bruker XFlash 630 EDS探测器的桌面扫描电子显微镜。这种扫描电子显微镜可以观察/测量生物和矿物样品以及其他材料(例如污染物、微塑料和功能材料)，并绘制其元素组成图。由于其工作台可在360°旋转，并可在90°倾斜，该仪器允许观察被分析样品的最大表面积。这种设备对我们的研究工作至关重要，将安装在UQAR的粒子分析实验室。它将支持海洋学、化学和工程学方面的几个多学科研究项目，所有这些项目都将充分利用这些设备：记录北水波利尼亚(巴芬湾北部)过去2000年的初级生产演变；描述有毒浮游生物的分布和形态，监测非土著物种在加拿大北极的到来；描述微塑料在圣劳伦斯河口以及努纳武特和育空的北极湖的发生和影响；开发生物基复合材料，以捕获废水中的污染物。因此，所要求的仪器对于实现这些多学科研究方案至关重要，而且对于培训参与这些方案的20名HQP来说也是至关重要的。这些设备还将用于培训本科生和研究生，作为他们课程负担的一部分。最后，它将帮助UQAR和加拿大巩固对使用扫描电子显微镜的国家(ArcticNet、MEOPAR、Odyssée Saint-Laurent)和国际(ArcTrain)研究项目的支持。

This proposal is to acquire a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector to replace the current system that has ceased functioning since February 2020. This new equipment will support several research programs funded by NSERC in biological, chemical and geological oceanography, and HQP training activities at the Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER) and at the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Geography, and Engineering at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR). The current SEM-EDS was used by more than 12 researchers and collaborators (2894 hrs of use) over the last 13 years and more than 55 highly qualified personnel (HQPs) were trained at using the equipment. In addition, the results obtained on sample analyses have led to over 32 peer-reviewed publications in high-ranked journals. The current equipment ceased functioning due to failure of major electronic components that are no longer manufactured, which substantially delay our research programs. Therefore, we are seeking funds to acquire a new SEM-EDS system to pursue our sample analyses. The requested equipment consists of a SEC SNE4500M PLUS tabletop SEM equipped with a Bruker XFlash 630 EDS detector. This SEM allows observing/measuring biological and mineral specimens, and other materials (e.g. contaminants, microplastics, and functional materials) and mapping their elemental composition. With its stage rotatable at 360° and tiltable at 90°, the instrument permits observing the maximum surface area of the specimens being analyzed. Such equipment is essential to our research work and will be located in the laboratory of particle analysis at UQAR. It will support several multidisciplinary research programs in oceanography, chemistry and engineering, all of which will make ample use of the equipment: Document the evolution of primary production in the North Water Polynya (northern Baffin Bay) over the last 2000 years; Characterizing the distribution and morphology of toxic plankton and monitor the arrival of non-indigenous species in the Canadian Arctic; Characterizing the occurrence and impacts of microplastic in the St. Lawrence Estuary and in Arctic Lakes in Nunavut and Yukon; Develop bio-based composites to trap contaminants in wastewater. The requested instrument is therefore paramount to realize these multidisciplinary research programs, but also for the training of 20 HQPs involved in these programs. The equipment will also be used to train undergraduate and graduate students as part of their course load. Finally, it will help UQAR and Canada to consolidate their support to national (ArcticNet, MEOPAR, Odyssée Saint-Laurent) and international (ArcTrain) research programs in which the SEM-EDS is used.