Western Carolina University is seeking to improve its existing Electron Microscope Facility through the purchase of specimen preparation equipment including a micro tome, diamond knife, and resin oven as well as a critical-point dryer, sputter coater, and energy dispersive x-ray detection system. The equipment will be used primarily in undergraduate education and research in the Department of Biology, although other disciplines will also be affected. A new course, "Techniques in Electron Microscopy" has been implemented in order to instruct students in the theory and use of the requested equipment.
