MRI: Acquisition of an Updated Digital Microscopy Station for Multidisciplinary Museum Research and Student Training

Cleveland Museum Of Natural History, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to The Cleveland Museum of Natural History to update an aging microscope facility that supports research and training across multiple scientific disciplines. Currently, the Museum openly offers all Museum departments and colleagues (and their students) from other institutions microscopes with digital cameras and computer software for scientific analysis of images of Museum specimens. This grant will fund the purchase of two new microscopes with digital cameras and the computers and software needed for image analysis. A third camera will be purchased to update the existing equipment. The Museum intends to continue allowing access to visiting researchers. The original research will allow for continued work in diverse areas of invertebrate zoology, including 1) descriptions of new species of wasps; 2) elucidation of the biology of the immature stages of various insect groups; 3) the application of entomological data to crime scene investigation; and 4) the use of aquatic insects as indicators of ecosystem health in wetlands. The Museum is committed to obtaining a better understanding of the natural world and our place in it. Research in the broader areas of biodiversity and ecosystem health will provide descriptive data that will generate hypotheses to be tested. Data obtained using modern microscopy equipment and image analysis will generate data for application to practical questions, such as forensic entomology and conservation biology. One of the new systems will be mobile, allowing it to be used in Museum galleries for public interaction and incorporation into the Museum's Distance Learning Studios for remote classroom experiences. All equipment will be stored and used in a room visible to the visiting public to ensure they understand the behind-the-scenes world of Museum research and public service.