Microscopy Enabling Facilities

Abstract

Microscopy will form a major part of the scientific endeavour at the Australian Synchrotron in the long term. This proposal seeks to provide a range of onsite facilities to enable new approaches to microscopy experiments, and place Australasian scientists at the forefront of research in this area. Experimenters frequently encounter issues associated with sample preparation and transport that limit the extent of information available from their samples; the ability to prepare samples onsite will overcome these issues in a large number of cases. The coordination of sample mounting and handling across beamlines and energy regimes will extend these microscopy capabilities, providing further advantage.

The main components of the proposal are;

  • Facilities for the culture of mammalian and bacterial cells and tissues
  • Access to animal treatment facilities available at the imaging and therapy beamline for experiments on other beamlines
  • Plant treatment/handling facilities
  • Complementary imaging capabilities on site, including advanced visible light and Raman microprobe instruments (emphasising simultaneous multi-regime measurements)
  • The development of a flexible fluorescence detector "pool" so that this resource can be utilised most effectively
  • Sample positioning compatibility across microscopy beamlines
  • The development of cryogenic sample mounting techniques to alleviate photodamage issues at bright beamlines

The user base for these facilities is clearly well established with the current XFM beamline the most oversubscribed at the AS, and several proposals for beamlines with imaging capabilities appearing as a part of the AS development plan.

pdf document Download Full Project Proposal Here (pdf, 188kb)

Contact Hugh Harris
Position: ARC QEII Fellow, The University of Adelaide
Phone: +61 (0)8 8303 5060
Fax: +61 (0)8 8303 4358
Email: hugh.harris@adelaide.edu.au

Further Information