Electron Microscopy Lab (SW144)

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The Electron Microscopy (EM) lab is housed in Science West. It is primarily operated by the Biology Department with assistance from the Mechanical Engineering Department. The EM lab houses a JEOL JSM-5400 scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and a JEOL JEM-1400 transmission electron microscope (TEM). The SEM can magnify objects up to 200,000X. With the EDS system on the SEM, researchers can obtain both topological and chemical information from the test samples. This allows scientists and engineers to understand not only the structure of the object under examination, but also the distribution of elements within the object. The TEM provides magnification of objects up to 600,000X. At these magnifications, the operator can examine crystal defects in metals and the structure of cells. This is important information for determining fundamental atomic or cellular relationships. Biological sample preparation equipment, a gold sputter coater, and a carbon coater are housed in this facility for all researchers to use. This lab supports student instruction in EM techniques and various research projects across campus.