The Electron Microscsopy (E.M.) Laboratory is one of two core laboratories that are part of the Life Sciences Bioimaging Facility.
In 1962, primarily at the behest of Professor of Microbiology (now Emeritus)
William T. Northey, Arizona State University acquired a second hand Philips EM 100B transmission electron microscope.
The instrument was housed in the basement of the Life
Science Building A wing and was immediately used for both teaching and
research by a range of faculty in the departments of Zoology, Botany and
Microbiology. Over the years, other departments and Colleges on
campus established electron microscope laboratories specializing in
different areas.
When a new Life Science building was completed in 1971
it included a purpose designed laboratory suite for the LSEMF in
the subbasement. The EM100B along with a new and more capable Philips EM300 TEM
was moved into the new facility. The new facility has vibration isolation
floors, light controlled rooms and hall , a preparation laboratory, darkrooms, two
ultramicrotomy rooms and a room which houses a BALZERS HPM 010 high
pressure freezing instrument. The LSEMF is a place where research
and teaching of principles and techniques of electron microscopy may
proceed.
Progress - The LSEMF Timeline
In 1975, the development of commercially available scanning electron microscopes
prompted expansion. A new AMR 1000A SEM was installed to broaden the
types of research that could be pursued. Additionally, a new group of
investigators and students were added as users of the lab.
In 1977 the EM100B was replaced with a new, easier to use, higher resolution Philips EM 201 for teaching and research.
In 1979, an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer or EDS system was added to the
SEM which allowed micro-elemental analysis of specimens that previously could
only be imaged.
In 1988, the now aging EM300 TEM was sold to a private
corporation and a new Philips CM 12S scanning transmission electron microscope or STEM with its
own EDS system was acquired. This computer controlled instrument has
better resolution and more modes of operation, making it much more flexible
and allowing new types of research and higher quality results.
In 1996, due to old age, our first Scanning Electron Microscope was retired.
The the Biological Scanning Electron Microscopy course was
taught, as needed, on an instrument under the auspices of the John M. Cowley Center for High
Resolution Microscopy.
In the Spring of 2003, a gift SEM from the Motorola Corp. was made available
to the LSEMF. This microscope, a Leica Cambridge Stereoscan 360FE is a high resolution
field emission SEM which we have retrofitted with a modern digital imaging system
from IXRF. We hope to have the installation and cadre learning finished soon in order to
begin teaching the course in the LSEMF again, as well as conducting
research on a broad variety of biological specimens. We will also do
outreach work with K-12 schools when the SEM is connected with the internet
and appropriate software is acquired.
