A grant has been awarded to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to acquire advanced detectors and instrumentation for a scanning proton microprobe (SPM) specially designed for research in the biological sciences. An SPM operates by scanning a highly focused high energy proton beam across the surface of a sample and the various forms of radiation emitted when the protons strike the sample can be used to detect, quantify, and locate the constituent atoms in the sample as well as produce images of the surface and subsurface structure. With the acquisition of this instrumentation researchers will have a vastly improved capability to nondestructively analyze sensitive biological materials at microscale dimensions. Some of the immediate applications where this advanced system will have a significant impact for researchers include evaluation of specific drug uptake mechanisms related to treatment of pediatric brain tumors, monitoring uptake and fluctuations of heavy metals and other pollutants in trees, 3-D tomography of single cells, and analysis of gravity sensing structures in organisms.
The wide range of research applications provided by this advanced SPM analytical system will encourage collaborations among faculty, postdoctoral research associates, and students while offering unequaled educational opportunities in biology, physics, and environmental sciences. Importantly, the significant interdisciplinary teamwork fostered by utilization of this instrumentation will accelerate the dissemination of new scientific knowledge. In addition, the association of the principal investigator with two Louisiana Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnership Programs offers a rare opportunity for K-12 and community outreach to introduce this leading edge technology to the public.
