MRI: Empowering Plant Science Research at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden with High Resolution and Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy Instrumentation

授予兰乔圣安娜植物园(RSABG)为扫描电子显微镜(SEM)实验室获得现代仪器和分析能力。扫描电子显微镜是研究生物材料详细表面结构(微观形态)的主要方法之一。该仪器对RSABG的研究和培训至关重要，RSABG是加州本土植物的最大植物园，也是植物比较生物学的重要研究中心。具体来说，RSABG将获得一台日立SU3500S变压扫描电子显微镜，以及样品制备设备和扫描电子显微镜图像分析软件。极大提高的扫描电子显微镜能力将支持RSABG教职员工、科学家和学生的研究，通过将植物的比较形态和解剖学研究与尖端分子方法和系统发育分析相结合，进一步了解植物多样性的演变。扫描电子显微镜成像增强了对分生组织、叶和茎表面、花结构、种子和花粉粒的观察，扩展了我们对植物形态和功能的了解。值得注意的是，对于许多植物群来说，花粉粒的扫描电子显微镜照片是物种描述的重要组成部分。此外，高质量的扫描电子显微镜图像是有效和令人兴奋的视觉交流的重要手段，无论是在科学演示中，还是在正式和非正式教育中。来自日立扫描电子显微镜的扫描电子显微镜图像将通过增强我们观察稀有植物繁殖的能力来加强我们在植物保护方面的工作。它还将通过提供既美丽又信息丰富的图像来促进公共和正规教育，以支持K-6和大学生以及通过在展品中使用此类图像来参观RSABG的其他参观者的节目。该设施还将增强克莱蒙特学院的研究人员可用的显微镜能力。SU3500S可变压力扫描电子显微镜、带有MTM-20高分辨率厚度控制器的Cressington 108自动溅射镀膜机和Mountain Map Universal软件是对RSABG研究基础设施的重大改进和扩展。这一集成系统将极大地改进我们的常规(即高真空)扫描电子显微镜能力，并通过增加(1)比目前可实现的更高的分辨率和放大倍率、(2)低真空容量和用于观察水化的活组织的珀尔蒂埃冷却平台以及(3)复杂的图像分析软件来显著扩大我们的研究工具箱。该仪器的低真空能力将极大地扩展我们可以解决的研究问题，同时也确保所做观察的准确性。图像分析软件是该软件包的重要组成部分，它将改变我们的分析能力，从扫描电子显微镜图像中收集数据：表征、量化和分析2D和3D结构，并将这些形态测量数据与比较系统发育分析相结合，以提高我们对植物进化模式的了解。

An award is made to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) to acquire modern instrumentation and analytical capacity for the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) laboratory. SEM is one of the principal methods for examination of detailed surface structure (micromorphology) of biological materials. This instrument is of fundamental importance to research and training at RSABG, the largest botanic garden dedicated to California native plants and an important research center for plant comparative biology. Specifically, RSABG will acquire a Hitachi SU3500S Variable Pressure SEM, together with specimen preparation equipment and SEM-image analysis software. Vastly improved SEM capabilities will support research by RSABG faculty, staff scientists and students to further our understanding of the evolution of plant diversity through integrating comparative morphological and anatomical research on plants with cutting-edge molecular methods and phylogenetic analysis. The enhanced view of meristems, surfaces of leaves and stems, floral structures, seeds and pollen grains enabled by SEM imaging expands our knowledge of plant form and function. Notably, for many plant groups, SEM photomicrographs of pollen grains are essential components of species descriptions. In addition, quality SEM micrographs are an important means of effective and exciting visual communication, both in scientific presentations and in formal and informal education. SEM imagery from the Hitachi SEM will enhance our work in plant conservation through enhancing our ability to observe reproduction in rare plants. It will also contribute to public and formal education by providing images that are both beautiful and information-packed to support programming for K-6 and college students, as well as other visitors to RSABG through use of such images in exhibits. The facility will also augment microscopy capabilities available to researchers at the Claremont Colleges.The SU3500S Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope, the Cressington 108 Auto Sputter Coater with an MTM-20 high resolution thickness controller and MountainsMap Universal software represent significant improvements to and expansion of research infrastructure at RSABG. This integrated system will dramatically improve our conventional (i.e., high vacuum) SEM capabilities and also significantly expand our research tool chest by adding (1) higher resolution and magnification than currently achievable, (2) low vacuum capacity and a Peltier cooling stage for observing hydrated, living tissue and (3) sophisticated image analysis software. The low vacuum capabilities of the instrument will expand considerably the research questions that we can address while also ensuring that observations made are accurate. The image analysis software that is a vital part of the package will transform our analytical power to gather data from SEM images: to characterize, quantify and analyze 2D and 3D structure, and to integrate these morphometric data with comparative phylogenetic analyses to advance our knowledge of the patterns of plant evolution.