Atomic Force Microscopy System for Biomedical, Materials, and Environmental Research

原子力显微镜(AFM)是在纳米尺度上对样品进行成像、测量和操纵的前沿科学研究工具之一。样品信息是通过用压电驱动的机械探头扫描其表面来获取的。申请的AFM将是奥卡纳根校区唯一的AFM，因此，它将向校园内的所有研究人员提供。在这份提案中，我们强调了一些由不同教员群体进行的多学科研究，这些研究将从这种设备中受益。与这台设备合作的研究人员来自生物医学工程、电气工程、环境工程、机械工程、材料工程和生物物理学等领域。因此，新的AFM系统将支持UBC奥卡纳根校区至少七个研究项目的当前和未来研究活动。AFM系统在任何大学校园都是必不可少的工具，特别是在奥卡纳根校园，在那里我们拥有强大的材料和生物/纳米材料研究人员。由于奥卡纳根校区没有AFM系统，附近的任何当地大学或研究机构都没有AFM系统，因此前往其他机构进行测量的旅行成本和研究延迟给各自的研究项目带来了巨大的成本。更具体地说，申请者领导的探索助学金和战略项目迫切依赖于我们校园中AFM系统的使用。从长远来看，我们有几个与当地新兴行业合作的机会，可以利用AFM对新材料进行表征。进一步的拖延可能会导致我们失去一些潜在的合作伙伴，并对研究项目造成重大损害。拟议的AFM系统将设在CFI资助的工程大楼内的生物微/纳米技术综合实验室。我们预计，该仪器最初将每周使用约20小时，但随着校园了解到AFM的能力，整个校园的用户将增长到每月接近或超过140小时。因此，这将对许多学院的研究计划造成严重影响。该设备将支持约20名研究生和本科生的跨学科研究。所有将与AFM合作的学生将接受关于AFM如何工作、如何操作AFM以及如何解释AFM数据的全面培训。这包括测试背后的理论、仪器校准、样品准备、实验设计和数据分析。AFM的使用将极大地加强他们在显微镜和表面表征技术方面的培训，并真正使他们的研究技能得以扩展。

Atomic force microscopy system (AFM) is one of the leading-edge scientific research tools for imaging, measuring, and manipulating samples at the nanoscale level. Specimen information is acquired by scanning its surface with a piezoelectrically driven mechanical probe. The requested AFM will be the only one on the Okanagan campus and, as such, it will be made available to all researchers on the campus. In this proposal, we highlight some of the multidisciplinary research performed by a diverse group of faculty that will benefit from this equipment. The researchers collaborating for this piece of equipment are from the fields of biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, and biophysics. Therefore, the new AFM system will support current and future research activities of at least seven research programs from UBC’s Okanagan campus. The AFM system is an essential tool on any University campus and especially in the Okanagan campus where we have a strong contingency of materials and bio/nanomaterials researchers. Since there is no AFM system on the Okanagan campus nor in any of the local colleges or research facilities nearby, the travel to other institutions to make measurements has imposed a significant cost of travel and research delay for the respective research programs. More specifically, the discovery grants and strategic projects led by the applicants are urgently dependent on the use of an AFM system on our campus. From a long term perspective, we have several collaboration opportunities with the emerging local industries on the characterization of new materials that can be pursued using the AFM. Further delays will possibly result in losing some of our potential collaborations and significant damage to research programs. The proposed AFM system will be located in the CFI funded Integrated Bio-Micro/Nanotechnology Laboratory in the Engineering Building. We expect that the instrument will initially be used for about 20 hours per week but grow to close to or exceeding 140 hrs per month by users across the campus as the campus learns of the capabilities of the AFM. Therefore, there will be serious impacts to the research programs of many faculties. This equipment will support interdisciplinary research for approximately 20 graduate and undergraduate students. All students who will be working with the AFM will be thoroughly trained in how the AFM works, how to operate the AFM and how to interpret the data from the AFM. This includes the theory behind the tests, instrument calibration, sample preparation, experimental design, and data analysis. The use of the AFM will enhance their training in microscopy and surface characterization techniques immensely and truly allow the expansion of their research skills.