The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (UWEC) proposes a major equipment upgrade in its electron microscope center with the purchase of a new Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and associated TEM preparation equipment. The proposed equipment will augment equipment purchased almost 20 years ago and will function in support of both the university's teaching and undergraduate collaborative research mission. The new TEM will have both analytical and video capabilities that do not exist with the current instrumentation. Development of this lab will ensure that UWEC remains a well respected regional laboratory for the analysis of materials using electron microscopy. Four departments currently use the electron microscopes for instruction of undergraduate students (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geology) and well over 100 students have been trained to do EM in the existing facility. Faculty members currently use the facility for research with graduate and undergraduate students in Biology and with undergraduate students in materials science and mineralogy. The enhanced resolution and analytical capabilities of the new instrument will draw additional researchers including one new UWEC faculty member (Dr. Anne Geraghty - plant physiology/plant molecular biology) who is experienced in immunocytochemical localization techniques for TEM. This powerful research tool forms an important link with the highly successful interdisciplinary program in biochemistry/ molecular biology which is one of the most popular majors on campus and draws some of UWEC's best students. This will ensure more use of electron microscopy in the future. Since UWEC has been designated the University of Wisconsin System Center of Excellence in Student/Faculty Collaborative Research, it is imperative that state-of-the-art research facilities be funded and maintained. Towards these ends, the State of Wisconsin has recently committed $343,000 to renovate exist ing space to house a new EM center and the new facility, completed in February, 1996 has a room devoted exclusively to development of a modern analytical TEM laboratory. In addition, UWEC is pledging an additional $256,311 for purchase of the proposed equipment indicating again the level of commitment on this campus to the proposed program. The combined university contribution to this laboratory including the remodeling will be ~ $600,000. We are seeking $269,953 from NSF to complete equipping the laboratory facility. The new TEM and associated equipment will add the following capabilities to the current laboratory: (1) TEM microanalysis, including accurate immunocytochemical localization, (2) ability to perform higher resolution studies (ten-fold increase in resolution over current TEM) and image crystalline structures with atomic resolution, (3) video display for instruction and demonstration, (4) video capture of digitized images for display and image analysis, and (5) improved access to electron microscopy for school and community groups. A surprising number of current science majors indicate that summer programs and school year visits to the university influenced their career decisions. Acquisition of this equipment will allow safe, effective training and research in EM to continue at UWEC for the next 20 years. Students from UWEC will have experience using state-of-the-art equipment, whether they are bound for graduate school, professional school, or simply a science literate life in the private sector.
