Scanning Electron Microscope Studies: Heavy Metal Distribu-tion in Biological, Chemical, and Geological Systems

少数族裔机构研究改进计划（RIMI）的设立是为了提供支持，加强以少数族裔为主的机构或拥有大量少数族裔学生的机构的研究环境和能力。符合条件的机构还必须有科学或工程方面的研究生课程。该基金为教师在科学和工程领域的研究提供资金，并为购置研究仪器提供资金。雷曼学院将利用RIMI的支持获得一台扫描电子显微镜，用于研究重金属在生物、化学和地质系统中的分布。科学家已经收集了大量关于重金属污染的资料。这项研究将通过检查亚细胞结构对金属污染物的反应，并通过评估在简单但不同的细胞类型中绘制这些金属的影响之间的相关性的可能性，来增加这一知识基础。其中一项研究的研究人员将首先使用无焰原子吸收分光光度法来确定两种试验生物（酿酒酵母和小球藻）中选定的重金属的掺入情况。其他研究将集中在淡水湖藻类的毒性和植物受控环境系统学问题等主题上。首席研究员有长期的研究出版物历史，并有一个值得称赞的记录作为大学管理人员。基金会之所以支持这个项目，是因为在城市大学将大大加强少数民族参与有价值的植物生物学研究。

The Research Improvement in Minority Institutions (RIMI) program was established to provide support to strengthen the research environments and capabilities of predominantly minority institutions or institutions that have substantial minority student populations. Eligible institutions must also have graduate programs in science or programs in engineering. Funding is provided for faculty research in fields of science and engineering supported by the Foundation and for the acquisition of research instrumentation. Lehman College will use RIMI support to acquire a scanning electron microscope to perform studies on heavy metal distribution in biological, chemical, and geological systems. Scientists have gathered considerable information on heavy metal pollution. This study will add to this base of knowledge by examining the subcellular structural responses to metallic pollutants and by assessing the possibility of drawing correlations between the effects of these metals in simple but dissimilar cell types. The investigators on one study will use flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry initially to determine the incorporation of selected heavy metals in two test organisms: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and chlorella vulgaris. Other studies will focus on topics such as toxicity on freshwater lake algae and controlled environmental systematics problems for plants. The principal investigator has a long history of research publications and has a commendable record as a university administrator. The Foundation has supported this project because the participation of minorities in meritorious biological research on plants will be enhanced significantly at an urban university.