This project involves the development of a new course that interfaces the theory and practice of scanning electron microscopy with a traditional "Light Microscopy and Microtechnique" course. Electron microscopy is a common tool used in industry and postgraduate research, and yet is rarely presented in an undergraduate curriculum. The new course, entitled "Scientific Methods Using Scanning Electron Microscopy", allows upper-division undergraduates to be exposed to this state-of-the-art technology. The course is directed at students from a variety of disciplines and is cross-listed under the Departments of Biological Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Geoscience, and Physics. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) acquired through this award serves as the focus of the didactic aspects of this project which include the theory of electron microscopy and ultrastructure interpretation. Other basic skills that are emphasized include data generation, gathering, analysis, and presentation. Before students enter the course, each is asked to submit a project proposal from any field or discipline on any topic--as long as an SEM is part of the methology used to study the problem. The first three weeks of the course are devoted to the theory of electron microscopy, and are designed to give the student a working knowledge of the instrument. After a rigorous check-out at the end of week three, the student is given wide latitude in the pursuit of individual projects. Weeks four to the end of the semester are devoted to the interpretation and presentation of data. Completed projects must be submitted in the form of a scientific paper, and also as a 10-minute oral presentation.
