The unseen world, both living and non-living, at the micro-scale and the nano-scale has inordinate importance for health and disease and is only made visible in detail through the appropriate tools of microscopy. In this project University of Southern Maine (USM) faculty and staff with expertise in electron microscopy, microbiology, virology, and immunology team up with elementary and middle school education and outreach specialists and the staff of USM's Southworth Planetarium to reveal vast but usually invisible micro-space/nano-space worlds to grades 3-8 students and K-12 teachers and ultimately to bring these worlds to students across Maine and the nation. Starting with macroscopic and multi-sensory observations, the project staff (during Phase I) will enhance visual perception of program participants by more than five orders of magnitude using USM microscopy resources including a new Tecnai BioTwin fully digital transmission electron microscope (TEM) with advanced tomography capabilities in the USM Virology and TEM Laboratory which the PI directs. Phase I of the project (years 1 to 3) will emphasize collaboration of biomedical sciences faculty and staff, K-12 participants, and the staff of USM's Southworth Planetarium on curriculum materials and production of visual resources for far-reaching educational outreach. Phase II of the project will focus on dissemination of curricula and other products of the project while expanding outreach efforts throughout Maine and integrating the academic year programs for K-12 teachers into the academic offerings of the Department of Applied Medical Sciences.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
3R25RR024280-02S1
Application #
7902315
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRR1-SEPA-9 (01))
Program Officer
Beck, Lawrence A
Project Start
2009-08-31
Project End
2012-08-30
Budget Start
2009-08-31
Budget End
2012-08-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$199,287
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Southern Maine
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
077469567
City
Portland
State
ME
Country
United States
Zip Code
04104