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SUNY Potsdam gets $200K for hot new microscope

Posted 11/16/10

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam has been awarded a grant of nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to purchase a Raman scattering microscope. Dr. Maria R. Heppel, chair of SUNY Potsdam's …

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SUNY Potsdam gets $200K for hot new microscope

Posted

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam has been awarded a grant of nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to purchase a Raman scattering microscope.

Dr. Maria R. Heppel, chair of SUNY Potsdam's Department of Chemistry, was awarded the grant, pegged at $199,733, to use in partnership with faculty and students from other programs in the college's School of Arts and Sciences, including the biology and anthropology departments.

“This is an important acquisition to help SUNY Potsdam science students gain first-hand experience with advanced technology," said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller. The microscope will “encourage collaboration among science faculty members on campus," he said

The microscope, which has surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectroscopy capabilities, will reveal chemistry at the nanoscale.

The Raman scattering and imaging techniques have become one of the most sensitive and versatile means of identifying species down to single nanoparticles and even the single molecule level. A series of project-based experiments will be developed to allow students to use the equipment in a number of research projects.

The departments of chemistry, biology and anthropology plan to present research based on their use of the microscope in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences nationwide. In addition, a content-rich website will be developed to share information on the technology and research techniques.

SUNY Potsdam also plans to incorporate work on the microscope into an annual High School Science Day so that North Country high school students and educators can work with the technology.