MRI: Acquisition of a fluorescence-activated cell analyzer (FACS) to enhance undergraduate classroom and research experiences

伦道夫-梅肯学院获得了一项奖励，以获得一台流式细胞仪，这种仪器能够每秒测量数千个单个细胞的16种分子特性。获得流式细胞仪将促进跨学科和机构的本科生研究和培训。特别是，该工具支持的研究项目将使伦道夫-梅肯学院和朗伍德大学每年超过25名本科生的指导和培训成为可能。每年将有另外50名学生受益于将该仪器纳入伦道夫-梅肯学院的实验课程。此外，这台细胞仪的收购将加强对兰道夫-梅肯学院国家科学基金会资助的科学之路项目的拉丁裔高中女生和当地中学生的推广活动。总的来说，在伦道夫-梅肯学院增加流式细胞仪将增强本科生、拉丁裔高中生、当地中学生和公众的科学训练和素养。流式细胞仪将支持由两个系和三个机构的七个教师指导的研究项目，涵盖广泛的研究课题。这些主题包括：一系列免疫学研究、神经生理学、哺乳动物生育能力、啤酒酵母的进化和其他主题。总的来说，这些项目将增强我们对自然世界的理解，并可能在研究人员和高级人员之间产生重大程度的合作，从而加强伦道夫-梅肯学院和朗伍德大学已经强大的知识社区。获得该流式细胞仪的项目的结果将在同行评议的出版物以及区域和国家科学会议上进行交流。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 Randolph-Macon College to acquire a flow cytometer, an instrument capable of measuring up to 16 molecular properties of thousands of individual cells per second. Access to the flow cytometer will facilitate undergraduate research and training across disciplines and institutions. In particular, research projects supported by the instrument will enable the mentorship and training of over 25 undergraduate research students per year at Randolph-Macon College and Longwood University. An additional 50 students per year will benefit from the inclusion of the instrument in laboratory courses at Randolph-Macon College. Further, the acquisition of the cytometer will enhance outreach activities to Latina high school women enrolled in Randolph-Macon College's NSF-funded Pathways to Science Program and local middle school students. Overall, the addition of the flow cytometer to Randolph-Macon College will enhance the scientific training and literacy of undergraduate students, Latina high school students, local middle school students, and the general public.The flow cytometer will support research projects directed by seven faculty from two departments and three institutions, spanning a broad range of investigative topics. These topics include: a range of immunology studies, neural physiology, mammalian fertility, the evolution of brewer's yeast, and other topics. Overall these projects will enhance our understanding of the natural world and are likely to generate a significant degree of collaboration between the investigators and senior personnel, enhancing the already strong intellectual community at Randolph-Macon College and Longwood University. Results from projects enabled by the acquisition of the flow cytometer will be communicated in peer-reviewed publications and at regional and national scientific conferences.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.