News Release

Nov. 17, 2006

National Science Foundation Awards Boise State University $348,786 Grant for Major Research Instrumentation

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $348,786 grant to Boise State University for a laser scanning confocal microscope that will enable scientists and engineers to study materials on a molecular level in three dimensions.

The NSF grant for major research instrumentation was procured for Boise State by biology professor Julia Oxford, along with colleagues in anthropology, biology, mechanical and biomedical engineering, chemistry, and materials science and engineering.

The microscope will be used for a wide range of funded research projects at Boise State, from studying the structure of cartilage to tracing the genetic history of plant families to analyzing prehistoric hominid bones and developing possible vaccines for cholera and other diseases.

According to Oxford, the new microscope will be the first at Boise State with three-dimensional imaging capabilities. Until now, Boise State researchers have had to travel to labs located in Colorado, California and other locations to access this critical instrumentation.

Laser scanning confocal microscopes are capable of producing blur-free images of thick specimens at various depths. Images are taken point-by-point and reconstructed with a computer, rather than projected through an eyepiece. Researchers can use the microscope for studying preserved tissues at a molecular level, as well as living cells.

“This new instrumentation will enhance our research capabilities here at Boise State, and also benefit our students by providing new opportunities to conduct hands-on research,” Oxford said.

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Contact: Julia Oxford, biology, (208) 426-2395, joxford@boisestate.edu 
Media Contact: Janelle Brown, University Communications (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu

Where you see blue, we see the largest institution of higher education in Idaho. For the ninth time in the last 10 years, Boise State University has set an all‑time state record with a fall enrollment of 18,876 students. Since 1996, Boise State’s student population has increased 25 percent.

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Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007