Achievement

An advanced methods course focused on surface-analytical instrumentation and imaging facilities (Image and Chemical Analysis Laboratory, MSU) was organized by an interdisciplinary group of IGERT faculty and attended by 9 IGERT students (Fall 2009). IGERT faculty presented lectures in particle physics, mass spectrometry, mineralogy, geomicrobiology, protein crystallography, and synchrotron light sources. IGERT students received practical training on one major instrument and conducted individual projects using this instrumentation to advance their respective research projects. Student projects culminated in a final talk and written report. In several cases, this course provided the foundation necessary for students to pursue techniques important to their own research projects (e.g., imaging microbial co-cultures, studying microbial processes on mineral surfaces), and one student project lead to international collaboration at the University of Vienna focused on microbial imaging.