MRI-R2: Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) for Research. Research Training, and Education at Southern University a Research Undergraduate Institution (RUI)

Southern University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

0959105 Walker Southern University Technical Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). In recent years, conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has evolved into an exquisite technique capable of providing direct information on the structure of materials not adequately handled by x-ray analysis or, more important, on local structure rather than the average structure determined by x-ray or neutron diffraction analysis. With the advent of high-resolution TEM, techniques now exist to probe the local structure of complex systems. TEM has become an important research tool in the life, physical, material, and environmental sciences. It is especially essential to the study of complex systems such as tissue, polymers, gels, multi metal oxides, etc. Accordingly, this award is for the acquisition of a high-resolution TEM instrument to enhance the TEM capabilities, to allow us to use these advance techniques to solve specific research problems, and to integrate our research with education and student training at Southern University and A & M College, the largest Historical Black College/University (HBCU) and research undergraduate institution (RUI). Layman Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The goal of the 200 kV TEM instrument is to strengthen and increase research, research education, and training of students from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering at Southern University. Additionally, this instrument will afford us high-resolution TEM capabilities and provide a user friendly and efficient TEM instrument for routine and state-of-the-art high-resolution TEM. There are two specific objectives: The first objective is to enrich and enhance research with Transmission Electron Microscopy an indispensable research tool, and the second objective is to provide opportunities for students to become familiar and participate in TEM research. The TEM facility will yield new insights by providing researchers at Southern University at Baton Rouge (SUBR) with a new state-of-the-art analytical tool that will immeasurably enhance the quality of their research. The TEM facility will foster a research atmosphere complimentary to undergraduate teaching, while continuing SUBR's mission to combine research and teaching in a highly productive manner for the training and development of young, highly talented engineers and scientists of the future. The TEM facility will play an important role in the training of minority scientists who will be better prepared to become future materials scientists, chemists, physicists, and/or engineers. In particular, this project will also have a significant impact on faculty and students at SUBR by exposing them to Transmission Electron Microscopy related research, a field where the number of minority students is very scarce. The high-resolution TEM at SUBR will catalyze the students' interest and encourage them to pursue graduate studies in engineering and the sciences.