The Chemistry Department at SUNY College at New Platz will acquire an atomic force microscope (AFM) mounted on an inverted optical microscope platform with this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. The proposed AFM/inverted optical microscope system will advance the following research areas: (1) chemical and physical strategies used by Pseudomonas putida to enhance bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; (2) subunit dissociation and unfolding of acellular polymeric hemoglobins; (3) characterizing chemically derivatized surfaces, modified for hybridization and protein binding reactions; and (4) modeled microgravity induced cytoskeletal changes. These research topics have important implications in the domains of bioremediation, medical treatment, physical aspects of biochemical reactions, and space travel.
An atomic force microscope is used to characterize surface topography on a nanoscale level, distinguish different molecular coverage on surfaces, unfold polymers, calculate substrate stiffness, and quantify interaction forces. The inverted optical microscope platform will confer additional versatility so that samples can be located or simultaneously imaged by phase or fluorescence microscopy and AFM. The instrument will be used by undergraduate research students and in laboratory experiments in 3 courses. It will be employed in collaborations with three Marist College faculty. Other nearby colleges will have access to the instrument.
