MRI: Acquisition of an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for Multidisciplinary Research and Undergraduate Research Training at Whitman College

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏与再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助，用于资助惠特曼学院购买新的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)。惠特曼学院有24年的成功研究和使用扫描电子显微镜对学生进行培训的记录。该学院以前的扫描电子显微镜已经不再起作用，新的教职员工研究项目需要获得一种新的仪器，能够捕获更高分辨率的图像，并处理潮湿的生物样本，如植物胚胎和培养的神经元。这种新的扫描电子显微镜的功能将允许多种应用：极低的真空度将允许研究含水的拟南芥样本，用于研究植物发育中的基因功能；3纳米分辨率将使高质量的脑细胞数字照片、蛇牙的进化适应、蛋白质晶体的表面以及与史前工具的功能和制造相关的痕迹成为可能；这些都是当前以学生为中心的研究计划的组成部分。此外，该奖项还资助了一个能量色散光谱仪(EDS)附件，该仪器将获取和绘制用于来源研究的石器的化学成分，用于估计喷发前结晶的压力和温度的火山岩中矿物的组成，以及用于碳循环研究的富含碳酸盐的根部铸件的成分变化。因此，这一增强的扫描电子显微镜将加强三个不同系(生物学、地质学、人类学)的八名教员的研究计划，其中包括两名初级教员，它将有助于跨学科研究。研究成果将在全国性和地区性会议上发表，并在学科期刊上发表，并在惠特曼学院的网站上发表。惠特曼学院在培养学生研究人员方面有着出色的记录，50%的学生参与了研究，研究人员继续进入研究生或专业学校。参与研究的学生中，超过50%是女性或代表人数不足的群体的成员。由于扫描电子显微镜被广泛用于私人、政府和学术研究领域，在多门高级课程和研究中使用该仪器，将使学生为复杂的研究生工作做好准备。因此，收购一家增强的环境扫描电子显微镜将促进惠特曼继续其在学生培训和教师研究方面的强劲记录。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This award funds the acquisition of a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) at Whitman College. Whitman College has a track record of 24 years of successful research and student training using scanning electron microscopy. The college's previous SEM is no longer functional, and new faculty research programs require the acquisition of a new instrument capable of capturing higher resolution images and handling wet biological samples, such as plant embryos and cultured neurons. Features of this new SEM will allow diverse applications: very low vacuum will allow research of hydrous Arabidopsis samples for studies of gene functions in plant development, and the three-nanometer resolution will enable high-quality digital photos of brain cells, evolutionary adaptations of snake fangs, surfaces of protein crystals, and traces related to the function and manufacture of prehistoric tools; these are all components of current, student-centered research programs. Furthermore the award funds an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) attachment that will acquire and map chemical compositions of stone tools for provenance studies, compositions of minerals in volcanic rocks for estimates of pressure and temperatures of pre-eruption crystallization, and compositional variation of carbonate-rich root casts for carbon cycle studies. This enhanced SEM therefore will strengthen the research programs of eight faculty members, including two junior faculty, in three different departments (Biology, Geology, Anthropology), and it will contribute to cross-disciplinary research. Research results will be presented at national and regional meetings, submitted for publication in disciplinary journals, and featured on the Whitman College website.The SEM will also have considerable broader impacts. Whitman College has an excellent record of training student researchers, with 50% of students participating in research with the investigators going on to graduate or professional schools. More than 50% of students involved in research have been women or members of underrepresented groups. Because SEM is used in a wide variety of private, governmental, and academic research fields, use of this instrument in multiple upper-level courses, as well as research, will prepare students for sophisticated post-graduate work. Acquisition of an enhanced, environmental SEM will therefore promote Whitman's ability to continue its strong track record of student training and faculty research.