Dr Jonathan Salvage of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PABS) has recently debuted a world premier in state of the art scientific equipment for PABS in the form of a Quorum Technologies PP3000T Cryo Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sample preparation system, located within the Image and Analysis Unit.
The PP3000T in PABS is the first customer install globally, and represents a significant step forward in terms of electron microscopy sample preparation technology as a whole, and also in relation to the facilities directly available within PABS for student teaching and research activity. The equipment facilitates the preparation, imaging, and analysis, of fully hydrated and biological samples that would otherwise be impossible to examine using high vacuum high performance electron microscopy, to reveal images and details of the previously hidden nano-architecture of samples.
The PP3000T forms part of an ongoing £0.5 million investment package by the University of Brighton in electron microscopy facilities within PABS being managed by Dr Jonathan Salvage, the Academic Lead for the Image and Analysis Unit. This investment package is providing a brand new electron microscopy laboratory housed within a purpose built research unit in the recently opened £23 million pound Huxley Building, and demonstrates the continued forward-thinking investment and belief in providing the best possible facilities for students and staff at the university.
The electron microscopy package is being supplied by Zeiss NTS, and is centred around two brand new state of the art Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). These offer environmental SEM in the form of a Zeiss EVO LS-15 SEM, high performance nano-resolution SEM from a Zeiss Sigma field emission gun SEM (FEG-SEM) with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) capabilities, together with full sample analysis systems based around Oxford Instruments top of the range 80mm2 X-Max microanalysis X-Ray detection system, to ensure the continued provision and access to the most up to date and state of the art teaching and research facilities for students and staff from across all faculties of the university.
As part of the social and economic engagement policy of the University of Brighton, the electron microscopy facilities can be accessed for educational visits through the STEM-Sussex network, and commercial access is available via the Image and Analysis Unit consultancy service lead by Dr Jonathan Salvage.
