This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, the Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, and Physics at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse will acquire a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to support research activities in these Departments. This instrumentation will significantly expand the capabilities of the University's Core Imaging Facility. Examples of specific projects that will use the requested instrumentation include: 1) the investigation of the structure and stability of DNA films on gold surfaces, 2) the investigation of organic/inorganic semiconductor interfaces, 3) the investigation of the structural and functional properties of full-length hemolysin A, 4) the use of semiconductor quantum dots to detect single photons, 5) the quantifying of particulate food resources in the upper Mississippi River as a means of evaluating the impacts of invasive species , 6) the analysis of the phenotype of defective cell cycle genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae meiosis, as well as the research projects of seven additional faculty in these Departments. The instrumentation will be available to a large number of undergraduate students -- both students enrolled in laboratory courses as well as undergraduate researchers. This group includes a significant number of students from underrepresented groups. In addition, the SEM and AFM will feature prominently in a number of extramural collaborations between research groups on campus and external partners.
Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy are widely used techniques for providing an image of a sample surface. The image is obtained by scanning an electron beam (SEM) or an atomically-sharp tip (AFM) over the surface under study. The resolution obtainable with both SEM and AFM microscopies (ca. nanometer or less) is significantly better than that achievable with optical microscopes. The instruments acquired will be housed in the University's Core Imaging Facility, and will be used by researchers from a wide variety of science disciplines.
This award funded the acquisition of two complementary instruments – a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM), at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L), a primarily undergraduate institution. These versatile tools are allowing UW-L researchers in the departments of Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, and Biology to perform microscopic analysis of biological and physical systems of study, at nanometer length-scale resolution and in a variety of environments. The addition of these tools has already begun to significantly impact the research and training infrastructure at UW-L, and will continue to do so far beyond the award period. During the grant period, the tools were installed and have been increasingly used by faculty researchers at UW-L to address questions in life and physical sciences. Several projects are beginning to mature. Specifically, one study is being performed in chemistry to quantify the stability of biomolecules attached to surfaces. This project is important because the results may lead to the development of new biosensors used, for example, as genetic diagnostics. A biochemistry researcher is performing another study to characterize how the nucleotide sequence (composition) of specific DNA motifs affects their flexibility. This study is important for improving our understanding of DNA processes such as transcription, replication, and repair. A physics researcher is using SEM and AFM to investigate layered, zinc oxide based heterostructures and zinc oxide based alloy thin films. These materials have potential uses as transparent conducting oxides and in photon harvesting applications. The AFM has been extensively employed to study the variations in surface morphology which occur when material processing conditions are varied, while the SEM with EDS has been used to determine/verify the composition of deposited alloys. A biology researcher is using these tools to study the nature of shell degradation by parasites in snails. This project will provide insights into the ways in which an invasive parasitic worm is propagating in the Mississippi River watershed. Beyond increasing the investigative capacity of UW-L researchers, these resources also are used to promote interdisciplinary collaborations and interactions with regional industries and agencies. For example, studies involving researchers from multiple departments have been initiated to use AFM to characterize protein structures that are factors of neurodegenerative diseases and to study blood-clotting mechanisms in hibernating animals. The tools have attracted new faculty to UW-L, with research centered on surface and materials science, and have served as a catalyst for additional research infrastructure improvements. The most important outcome continues to be providing undergraduate students with hands-on experience using one or both of these instruments in independent research. These experiences profoundly increase their capabilities as technologically trained individuals entering graduate schools and the workforce. In addition to research, the instrumentation is used to provide training in advanced instrumentation to a broader range of students through upper division laboratory-based courses in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.
