A Philips CM 120 BioTWIN transmission electron microscope (TEM) with a slow CCD camera is required for the research projects of nine Principal Investigators (PIs). The TEM will be utilized in a wide range of projects including studies on the mechanism of Parvo virus infection and host range, immunological characterization of trophoblast cells, regulation of ovarian follicular steroid production, unique structures associated with plastids, immunogold studies of mitochondrial proteins, pollen actin cytoskeleton, intestinal cell differentiation, sperm capacitation and hyperactivation and synaptology of physiologically-identified acoustic circuitry. The new TEM would be installed and maintained at the core facility, Cornell Integrated Microscopy Center (CIMC). CIMC has two transmission electron microscopes; an 8 year old Zeiss (Leo) 902 and a 24 year old Philips EM 201 that are shared by a large number of TEM users. Six of the PIs would be added to the list of users to bringing the total to 32 users. In addition, the EM 201 has a high downtime due to its age and the difficulty of obtaining parts for it. The 201 is also used for instructions. The net result is that very long wait-times are common for the use of a TEM. Under the current conditions, it would not be possible to achieve most of the PIs' TEM project goals. A modern TEM such as Philips CM 120 BioTWIN is needed to fulfill the project goals. There is no comparable instrument available in the campus.
