MRI: Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope

授予洛约拉大学芝加哥（LUC）购买透射电子显微镜（TEM），以支持研究，教学和推广。该设备将由LUC研究人员以及STEM领域的研究生和本科生使用。除了教学课程和研究指导，每年有100多名LUC本科生将获得关于这台机器的有价值的培训。LUC的两门本科课程将利用TEM，邻近本科院校的两门课程也将利用TEM。TEM对在LUC从事暑期研究的高中生影响最大。每年，LUCinvestigators都会接待来自芝加哥地区高中的40多名有抱负的科学家。这种高中研究经验将包括培训和实践探索使用TEM。因此，TEM将促进学生在LUC和超越的培训。这个TEM增强了各个层次的研究。它可以为从生物学到材料化学再到环境可持续性的各种科学领域的样品进行成像、尺寸测量和元素映射。代表性的例子包括噬菌体的成像，疟疾寄生虫的细胞结构稳定性，蜥蜴鳞片的显微结构，细菌生物膜的形成，鱼胚胎中软骨和骨的形成，以及外周神经系统结构。此外，这台机器可以检查原型小分子有机半导体表面发生的化学反应，以及活组织中金属积累的元素特异性测量。因此，TEM仪器将刺激现有研究项目的生产力，并培养下一代科学家。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

An award is made to Loyola University Chicago (LUC) to purchase a Transmission ElectronMicroscope (TEM) in support of research, teaching, and outreach. This equipment will be usedby LUC researchers as well as graduate and undergraduate students in STEM fields. Throughdidactic courses and research mentorship, over 100 LUC undergraduate students will gainvaluable training on this machine annually. Two undergraduate courses at LUC will utilize theTEM as will two courses at neighboring undergraduate institutions. The TEM will have thegreatest impact on high school students engaged in summer research at LUC. Each year, LUCinvestigators host 40+ aspiring scientists from Chicago area high schools. This high schoolresearch experience will include training and hands-on exploration using the TEM. Thus, theTEM will promote student training both at LUC and beyond.This TEM enhances research at all levels. It enables imaging, sizing, and elemental mapping ofsamples for a diverse ensemble of scientific fields ranging from biology to materials chemistry toenvironmental sustainability. Representative examples include imaging of bacteriophages, thecellular structural stability of malaria parasites, microscopic structures of lizard scales, bacterialbiofilm formation, cartilage and bone formation in fish embryos, and peripheral nervous systemstructure. Furthermore, this machine can examine the chemistry that occurs at the surface ofprototypical small molecule organic semiconductors as well as element-specific measurementsof metal accumulation in living tissue. Thus, the TEM instrument will stimulate the productivity ofthe existing research projects as well as train the next generation of scientists.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.