MRI: Acquisition of an FEI Apreo Scanning Electron Microscope

授予北卡罗来纳州威尔明顿大学一个获得FEI-Apreo扫描电子显微镜（SEM）的奖项。 SEM将是本科课程的基石，在介绍和先进的细胞生物学教学。通过与UNCW STEM学习合作社的合作，将教育福利进一步扩大到大学预科学生，特别关注代表性不足社区的女孩。SEM将用于进行一个综合性的多年项目，该项目涉及研究生和本科生开发显微标本的3D可视化方法，并生产这些标本的3D打印复制品。学生将与大学前的青少年合作，以形象，探索和生产的模型，可用作在自己的学校的教育材料。SEM将为科学博览会、大学开放日和终身学习活动提供定期的外展机会，让公众参与基于显微镜的STEM。因此，该奖项将使北卡罗来纳州大学威尔明顿的高影响力教育和公共宣传活动的持续实施，从K-12到博士学位，该奖项将允许高分辨率成像和细胞和组织，生物矿物，地质和古生物样品，制造材料和纳米颗粒的表面结构的微观分析。具体而言，将支持五个专题研究组：（1）细胞生物学，分类学和海藻多样性，（2）海洋无脊椎动物和微生物共生体多样性，（3）被子植物功能多样性和植物地理学，（4）鲸目动物及其寄生虫的形态和微观结构，以及（5）考古学，海洋古生物学和沉积岩石学。除了这些研究主题之外，该奖项还将促进许多其他项目，新的研究计划以及国家和国际合作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to the University of North Carolina Wilmington to acquire an FEI-Apreo Scanning electron Microscope (SEM). The SEM will be a cornerstone of the undergraduate curriculum in introductory and advanced cell biology teaching. The educational benefits will be further extended to pre-college students through collaboration with the UNCW STEM Learning Cooperative, with a special focus on girls from underrepresented communities. The SEM will be used to conduct an integrative multi-year project that involves graduate and undergraduate students developing 3D visualization methods for microscopic specimens and production of 3D printed replicas of these specimens. Students will collaborate with pre-college teens to image, explore and produce models that can be used as educational material in their own schools. The SEM will provide regular outreach opportunities for science fairs, college open days, and life-long learning events that engage the general public in microscopy-based STEM. The award will therefore enable continued implementation of The University of North Carolina Wilmington's high-impact education and public outreach activities that are crosscutting, from K-12 through Ph.D.The award will allow for high resolution imaging and microanalysis of surface structures of cells and tissues, biominerals, geological and paleontological samples, manufactured materials, and nanoparticles. Specifically, five thematic clusters of research will be supported: (1) Cell biology, taxonomy, and diversity of marine algae, (2) marine invertebrate and microbial symbiont diversity, (3) angiosperm functional diversity and biogeography, (4) morphology and microstructure of cetaceans and their parasites, and (5) archeology, marine palentology, and sedimentary petrology. In addition to these research themes, many other projects, new research initiatives, and national and international collaborations will be facilitated by this award.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.