MRI: Acquisition of a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Multidisciplinary Research Needs with Undergraduates at Hope College

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with low-vacuum, low-voltage, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) capabilities for Hope College. The FESEM greatly enhances the current suite of microscopy techniques available at Hope College, provides training to a large number of undergraduate STEM students in modern instrumentation, and will lead to meaningful data in diverse scientific fields disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

The PIs' research spans five departments: Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geological & Environmental Sciences, and Physics. Three co-PIs and five Senior Personnel are early-career faculty. This equipment will strengthen their research and provide valuable skills for their students who will become an essential part of the nation’s workforce.

Undergraduate researchers at Hope College, 15% of whom are underrepresented minorities, will be using this advanced equipment for transformative, cutting-edge research, thus building STEM talent and workforce. This instrument will have a regional impact by providing access to sophisticated instrumentation to local companies and academic institutions.

In addition to collaborative research, a wider audience will be engaged through programs such as ExploreHope, which provides summer science and academic-year outreach activities that reach over 2,000 K-12 students and teachers per year. The PIs will integrate the FESEM into the ExploreHope curriculum so that K-12 students will interact with the instrument.

This FESEM will transform research at Hope College, enhance undergraduate education, and promote community engagement.

The FESEM allows researchers to investigate (a) the synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials for water remediation and energy-related applications, (b) the design of thermochromic photovoltaics that could lead to improved solar cells (c) techniques for the facile alignment and synthesis of responsive liquid crystalline polymers that will enable the design of adaptive, shape-programmable structures and devices, (d) the morphological differences of functionalized polymer thin films for sensing applications, and (e) the effect of wear on the morphology and composition of advanced lubrication schemes. Additionally, the FESEM will enhance several areas of environmental research.

The instrument will allow investigation of (a) the degradation mechanisms at play in organic matter in peatlands, (b) how suspended fine particles affect water quality, and (c) the effects of nanoparticles on sensory processing and behavior in animals. Finally, the FESEM will enable biological research projects from virology to ecology. The requested instrument will provide insight into (a) the structure and formation of viral replication complexes that will lead to novel therapeutic strategies, (b) mitochondrial genetics and biosynthetic pathways that play fundamental roles in human health, (c) regulation of anti-oxidant defense pathways in the central nervous system that may be involved in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, (d) the evolution of maple trees during periods of climatic change, (e) how the immune system influences animal behavior, and (f) neuronal degeneration and repair following damage.

The FESEM will increase the research capabilities in materials, environmental, and biological characterization at Hope College by providing an instrument with high-resolution, high magnification, and low-vacuum capabilities. Data provided by this instrument promises to increase the publication rate and funding success for faculty who otherwise have limited access to similar quality instrumentation.

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.