Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The ability to view structures with nano-scale resolution, such as the organization of membranes and DNA in biological cells or the structure of crystals and polymers, is essential to unravel cellular and organ functions and in the design of human-made nanostructures. The information gained from such research is critical for a myriad of applications including the identification of diseases and generation of therapies, the design of novel opto-electronic devices, efforts to devise strategies for protection of agricultural crops, and the identification of unique species and ecosystems that require conservation. To view structures with nano-scale resolution, researchers use a powerful type of microscope that emits electrons and analyzes their patterns as they go through a specimen. This, so called, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) produces black and white images of the specimen being viewed, which is typically a 30-90 nm thick section of tissue. In combination with several specimen preparation techniques and the use of molecular markers attached to gold particles, the localization of different gene products within the cell can be achieved. This is extremely powerful in that it reveals very precisely the localization of targets (e.g., protein receptors, delivery probes) within individual compartments of the cell, as well as the ultrastructure of the cell. The TEM located at the University of Victoria (UVic), which serves the needs of researchers, private industry, government agencies, and educators throughout Vancouver Island has become inoperative because the camera system has ceased to function and cannot be repaired. Without a camera system, pictures cannot be acquired to support the research programs of 8 leading laboratories at UVic and the many external users that routinely rely on this TEM. This grant application requests funding to purchase a new camera system to re-establish a functional TEM at UVic.