Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

A group of eight Dalhousie electron microscopists from three disciplines (Biology, Chemistry and Psychology) seeks equipment for the continued operation of an advanced transmission electron microscope, on behalf of a larger group of users. The microscope is the core facility of the Science Faculty's Scientific Imaging Suite at Dalhousie. The equipment comprises two items: a new high-resolution digital camera, and a new computer and software to run both the microscope and camera. The computer is essential to replace an aging and unreliable embedded computer, without which the microscope and camera cannot function. The camera is needed to replace an outdated camera with inferior resolution and poor sensitivity that cannot capture images of sufficient quality for many of our applications. The microscope itself functions perfectly as an electron optical instrument, has a long life expectancy, but does not operate reliably or effectively to capture images. The equipment for both additional systems, i.e. the camera, computer and associated software, is needed to perform these functions. Through major improvements in both computer and digital image capture technologies, the useful life of the replacement items is predicted to be much longer than those of the components they are scheduled to replace. The scientific programs that would be supported by the upgrade are in diverse areas. Those of the applicants include: the neurobiology of Drosophila, the cell biology of Artemia, evolutionary aspects of biological ultrastructure in free-living protozoa, programmed cell death in plant leaves, synaptogenesis in retinal neurons, the regulatory role of protein ubiquitination in plant development, drug design against Alzheimer's disease, and nanoparticle materials science. Our co-applicants and users represent established workers and younger colleagues whose programs will sustain the future operation of the microscope. The strength of our case relies on the large group of users, the excellence of their programs, the breadth and depth of training these offer HQP, the urgency of our need, the lack of alternatives, and the value of investing in a system that is already working well.