Carthage awarded grant to acquire an atomic force microscope

Professors Kathryn Hasz (Engineering Department) and John Kirk (Chemistry Department) were recently awarded a Major Research Instrumentation grant for $258,820 from the National Science Foundation to acquire an atomic force microscope to expand Carthage’s materials characterization capabilities.

An atomic force microscope consists of a sharp probe at the end of a cantilever. It can image surface features at significantly smaller sizes than ordinary light microscopes and may be used to measure other properties, such as hardness and adhesion, which are otherwise impractical to measure at these scales. 

Professors Sarah Terrill and Steven Henle from the Neuroscience Department also contributed to the proposal. Students and faculty will use the instrument for interdisciplinary research in the engineering, chemistry, and neuroscience departments, as well as for collaborations with local industry.

The microscope will be used to study multiple systems, including atomically thin materials for use as more efficient lubricants, nanoscale structures that can act as sensors for environmental contaminants, neurons of stressed and non-stressed rats to study behaviorally-linked biological changes, and regenerative zebrafish retinal cells as models for treating eye diseases or injury. 

The instrument will provide high-quality research and training opportunities for diverse student researchers at Carthage. Additional undergraduate and high school students will be exposed to the instrument through educational opportunities and outreach, including an engineering nanotechnology course, a chemistry advanced integrated laboratory course, and high school science and engineering visit days.