Equipment: MRI: Track 1: Acquisition of a Desktop Scanning Electron Microscope for Aquatic Microbial Research and Education

An award is made to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to acquire a Phenom G6 ProX Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to enable Bigelow researchers, staff and students to continue their study of the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on our planet. Bigelow Laboratory has >100 postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate interns, and working professionals utilizing its collective research training and educational infrastructure each year, in particular its microscope facilities that the SEM in this project will augment.

Especially, the SEM will be used in the marine Harmful Algal Taxonomy course offered annually to academics and Harmful Algal Bloom program managers. Additionally, the SEM would be a valuable resource to collaborating researchers and teachers at neighboring academic institutions, specifically Southern Maine Community College, providing new opportunities to their research and students.

The SEM will enhance research capabilities of the existing microscopy infrastructure at Bigelow Laboratory and allow Bigelow scientists and their teams to conduct cutting edge research in many new areas. These areas are comprised of the following themes: 1) interactions of aquatic microorganisms with chemical stimuli and their response, 2) interactions among aquatic microorganisms that impact important global geochemical cycles, 3) improved taxonomic identification of aquatic microorganisms, specifically resolving those that are harmful from those that are not, 4) the progression of disease in aquatic crustaceans, and 5) translating knowledge of aquatic microorganisms to societal solutions such as marine carbon dioxide removal.

This diverse range of projects reflects the diverse interests of Bigelow scientists, who are making valuable contributions to the basic and applied research missions of Bigelow Laboratory.

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.