Project Details
Projekt
Mikromanipulator-Rasterelektronenmikroskop (MREM)
Subject Area
Neurosciences
Zoology
Zoology
Term
Funded in 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465133610
The institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (IEZ) applies for a fieldemission scanning electron microscope with micromanipulator, airlock and EDX in order to be able to accomplish its ongoing and future research projects. Since the withdrawal of the old SEM device from service in 2019, SEM studies are carried out at the Institute for Cell Biology. However, the device at the Institute for Cell Biology is not optimized for high-throughput quantitative measurement and manipulation of high sample quantities and, additionally, already operates at nearly maximum capacity so that IEZ projects had to be postponed several times since 2019. The workgroups of the IEZ and other groups at the University of Bonn will have an increasing demand for topology measurements on diverse sample types as well as the study of material parameters via EDX in a high-throughput framework. For the topology measuerments and the quantitative EDX a BSE detector is necessary. The differential signal from each quadrant of the detector will be processed into a 3D representation of the sample surface for later analysis with software packages. The use of a micromanipulator device allows for rotation and additional tilt-axes which will result in a drastically lowered need for sample exchanges and, consequently, allows for faster sample study. Additonally, topology measurements acc. ISO 25178 only work at low tilt angles. The whole setup as applied for here is focused on high-throughput sample measurements. Future projects, which have already been granted, require a throughput of ca. 1500 saples per year. The uptime of the device is projected to be approx. 2400hrs per year. EDX measurements will be used mainly for studies about material properties of arthropod cuticle. The high sample throughput is further supported by a fully-automated CPD-device. In summary, the IEZ will be able to carry out quantitative topology measurements and EDX mapping with this SEM and CPD so that we will be able to perform modern comparative studies in the field of micro- and macroevolution.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
Mikromanipulator-Rasterelektronenmikroskop (MREM)
Instrumentation Group
5120 Rasterelektronenmikroskope (REM)
Applicant Institution
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
