Nanoscience education today
Many concepts in cell biology, microbiology, molecular biology, and medicine have a foundation in micro- and nanoscale structures (nanobiotechnology, bionanotechnology, and nanobiology). But these concepts seem out of reach for hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in high school and college. Traditional light microscopes are available but limited in resolution to >200 nm (you can just about see bacteria). Electron microscopes that can achieve molecular resolution are expensive (>$500,000 plus maintenance), complex and often require toxic chemicals for sample preparation (such as depleted uranium, osmium tetroxide, and lead salts).
The consequence is that students learn about nanobiology from oversimplified schematic drawings in textbooks and it just doesn’t click. All that amazing biology is inaccessible except for a very small group of experts.
our AFMs can change that!
AFMs give students as early as senior high school access to nanobiology. This isn’t hyperbole, we have done it repeatedly with high school and community college students with zero prior experience. How?
We all know that inspiration in STEM education comes from students executing a project with their own hands and discover the science for themselves. It is also the foundation for initiating use-inspired research and workforce development in nanotechnology, both in biology and materials science.
See some examples of discovery projects here that are accessible to students with just a few weeks of training, depending on the specific project and protocol.
Requirements and costs
To put the complexity in perspective: You could run these AFM experiments in your garage, on an AFM that costs as much as an average new car, without maintenance contracts, and a few thousand dollars in annual consumables (mostly AFM probes). Yes, nanotechnology in your garage, seriously! Identify about 3×3 feet of floor space in your science lab (quiet, away from active sources of vibrations such as freezers, centrifuges, hallways, busy streets, etc.), a desk for 1-2 PC monitors, bench space nearby to prepare samples, and a 110V outlet. Done!
We support you in curriculum development that aligns with existing programs and interests, and ideally aim to create an iterative loop of design – synthesis – analysis so that students can take intellectual ownership of their project.
