MRI: Acquisition of Advanced Scanning Proton Microprobe Analytical Endstation for Biological Applications

路易斯安那大学拉斐特分校获得了一笔赠款，用于购买专门为生物科学研究设计的扫描质子微探测器(SPM)的先进探测器和仪器。SPM通过扫描穿过样品表面的高度聚焦的高能质子束来运行，当质子撞击样品时发射的各种形式的辐射可以用于检测、量化和定位样品中的组成原子，以及产生表面和亚表面结构的图像。随着这种仪器的获得，研究人员在微尺度上非破坏性分析敏感生物材料的能力将得到极大的提高。这种先进的系统将对研究人员产生重大影响的一些直接应用包括：评估与治疗儿童脑瘤相关的特定药物摄取机制，监测树木对重金属和其他污染物的吸收和波动，单细胞的三维断层扫描，以及分析生物体中的重力感应结构。这种先进的SPM分析系统提供的广泛研究应用将鼓励教师、博士后研究助理和学生之间的合作，同时提供无与伦比的生物、物理和环境科学教育机会。重要的是，利用这一仪器培养的重大跨学科团队合作将加速新科学知识的传播。此外，首席研究员与路易斯安那州教育部数学和科学伙伴关系项目的联合为K-12和社区外联提供了一个难得的机会，将这项尖端技术介绍给公众。

A grant has been awarded to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to acquire advanced detectors and instrumentation for a scanning proton microprobe (SPM) specially designed for research in the biological sciences. An SPM operates by scanning a highly focused high energy proton beam across the surface of a sample and the various forms of radiation emitted when the protons strike the sample can be used to detect, quantify, and locate the constituent atoms in the sample as well as produce images of the surface and subsurface structure. With the acquisition of this instrumentation researchers will have a vastly improved capability to nondestructively analyze sensitive biological materials at microscale dimensions. Some of the immediate applications where this advanced system will have a significant impact for researchers include evaluation of specific drug uptake mechanisms related to treatment of pediatric brain tumors, monitoring uptake and fluctuations of heavy metals and other pollutants in trees, 3-D tomography of single cells, and analysis of gravity sensing structures in organisms.The wide range of research applications provided by this advanced SPM analytical system will encourage collaborations among faculty, postdoctoral research associates, and students while offering unequaled educational opportunities in biology, physics, and environmental sciences. Importantly, the significant interdisciplinary teamwork fostered by utilization of this instrumentation will accelerate the dissemination of new scientific knowledge. In addition, the association of the principal investigator with two Louisiana Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnership Programs offers a rare opportunity for K-12 and community outreach to introduce this leading edge technology to the public.