MRI: Acquisition of a micro-computed tomography scanner for interdisciplinary research at Western Washington University

Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program award supports the acquisition of a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanner to support diverse research and training programs at Western Washington University (WWU). Micro-CT imaging is an X-ray technique that allows the surfaces and internal structures of diverse analytes such as rocks, bones, teeth, sediments, composites and wood to be observed in three dimensions without damage to the sample itself. Acquisition of the micro-CT scanner will promote the advancement of science by supporting the research programs of at least 10 WWU faculty spanning 5 departments, as well as foster new collaborations with regional community and technical colleges. Because WWU is a predominantly undergraduate institution with a considerable population of first-generation and/or students of color, the scanner will also support education and diversity through student-led research, integration into existing courses and the development of a new micro-CT course that will train the next generation of instrumentalists. The addition of a micro-CT system will complement existing instrumentation on campus and allow WWU to continue to serve as a regional hub for research and learning. The micro-CT instrument will complement existing scanning electron and Raman microscopes on campus in support of a micro-imaging core facility. Although it will be used by many researchers at WWU and neighboring community and technical colleges, it will receive particularly heavy use in the fields of geosciences, anthropology and materials science to explore questions ranging from volcano eruption dynamics to the evolution of primates to recycling thermoset polymers to how ocean acidification affects economically-important fisheries. The absence of access to a micro-CT scanner has limited research productivity in many of these fields so acquisition of this instrument will immediately advance existing research projects and create a viable path toward exploring new research ideas. The micro-CT scanner will be maintained and operated by a trained, Ph.D.-level technical staff within a university-wide organization that has a long track record of operating, managing and maintaining major instrumentation in support of research and education across disciplines. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.