MRI: Acquisition of a High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope for a Central Facility Supporting Interdisciplinary Research and Training

这项奖励是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助的。这笔资金将支持购买高分辨率扫描电子显微镜(HR SEM)。该仪器将安装在马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校的一个新的电子显微镜设施中，该设施将同时服务于生命科学和材料科学。对于希望研究最小层次结构的科学家来说，HR扫描电子显微镜已成为不可或缺的工具。它不仅具有与透射式电子显微镜相当的分辨率，而且制备样品在显微镜中成像也很简单。除了能够对样品的表面成像，从而揭示其表面形貌外，该仪器还能够确定结构中存在哪些元素以及以什么浓度存在。该仪器将支持马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校以及周围大学(史密斯大学、芒特霍利奥克大学、阿默斯特大学和汉普郡大学)的科学家正在进行的研究。例如，地球科学家正在分析矿物的组成，从而提高对地球的理解；化学家和聚合物科学家正在研究如何制造光伏电池等设备，通过能够在尽可能小的规模上操纵组件来获得优异的性能；生物学家正在阐明一些细菌制造的微小细丝如何充当导电线，以及植物细胞壁如何帮助引导细胞发育。所有这些努力，以及其他许多努力，都将通过收购HR SEM而得到加强。该仪器将用于许多课程，从扫描电子显微镜的理论和实践的高级课程到更基础的课程，旨在激发观察和推理的能力。主要预期的研究成果是使用出版物中的人力资源扫描电子显微镜数据。新的中央机制将整理所有这类文件，并在其网页上提供适当的访问途径。预期的教育结果既是概念性的(增加对结构方程的理解)，也是实用的(增加这一方法的专业知识)。中央设施将维护一个数据库，记录所有教授的课程、服务过的学生，以及在可能的情况下，关于学生使用该仪器的职业。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The funding will support the acquisition of a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (HR SEM). The instrument will be located in a new electron microscopy facility at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that will serve both life and materials sciences. For scientists wishing to investigate the smallest levels of structure, the HR SEM has become indispensable. Not only does it possess a resolution comparable to the transmission electron microscope, preparation of samples for imaging in the microscope is straightforward. In addition to being able to image the surface of the sample, thereby revealing its topography, the instrument is also able to determine which elements are present in the structure and at what concentration. The instrument will support the on-going research of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as well as at the surrounding colleges (Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst, and Hampshire). For example, geoscientists are analyzing the composition of minerals, thereby improving understanding of the Earth; chemists and polymer scientists are investigating how to build devices, such photovoltaic cells, with superior performance by being able to manipulate components at the smallest possible scale; and biologists are elucidating how tiny filaments made by some bacteria can act as electrically conducting wires and how plant cell walls help guide cell development. All of these efforts, among many others, will be enhanced by acquisition of the HR SEM. The instrument will be used in many courses, ranging from upper level courses in theory and practice of SEM to more basic courses, designed to stimulate powers of observation and reasoning. The primary expected research outcome is the use of HR SEM data in publications. The new Central Facility will collate all such papers and will provide appropriate access on its web page. The expected educational outcomes are both conceptual (increasing understanding of SEM) and practical (increasing expertise in this methodology). The Central Facility will maintain a database on all courses taught, students served, and where possible, on the subsequent careers of student users of the instrument.