A grant has been awarded to Oklahoma State University under the direction of Dr. Charlotte Ownby for partial support of an electron microscope and associated supporting equipment to improve research, training and education activities at Oklahoma State University. The new microscope will bring the latest technology to the central Electron Microscopy Laboratory which serves as the core, multi-user microscopy facility for four Colleges and sixteen Departments at OSU. This instrument along with a new facility being constructed is part of a broader effort of the University to improve its microscopy and imaging capabilities. In addition to research, a major purpose of this microscope is teaching and training in electron microscopy to individuals who will then contribute to the growing research and technology industry in the state of Oklahoma.
The new electron microscopy equipment will serve over 56 individual research and research training programs at Oklahoma State University. Four major research projects include the construction and study of the internal structure of microscopic particles used in semiconductors; the use of metal complexes as electrode materials in batteries and supercapacitors, for the inhibitionof corrosion and as sorbants for pollutants; the study of soft condensed materials for use as surface-active films; and the involvement of fungi in facilitating virus-induced disease in plants. Additional research is being done on the development of microscopic materials known as nanomaterials for use in making sensors for homeland security and counterterrorism, novel semiconductors for smaller and better electrical components and the identification of viruses that affect both plants and animals and also research on cell and structure in health and disease.
Faculty, students, postdoctoral associates and staff involved research and teaching at Oklahoma State University will have access to this new equipment. Several undergraduate and graduate courses serving culturally diverse students from a broad spectrum of disciplines including chemistry, physics, geology, chemical and electrical engineering, cell biology, microbiology, virology, physiology, plant and animal pathology, botany, forestry and horticulture will benefit from using this microscopy equipment. The OSU Electron Microscopy Laboratory participates in programs that attract students from underrepresented groups and women pursuing degrees in science and engineering. It works with programs that train K-12 teachers as well as several companies in the high technology private sector in Stillwater and around Oklahoma. In addition, the OSU Lab is heavily involved in the Oklahoma Microscopy Society which reaches thousands of grade school children through its annual "Ugly Bug" contest. The impact that this instrumentation will have on the quality of science, research and education in the state of Oklahoma is major and far-reaching.
