Annual Report
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Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis Annual Report CMCA | 2014–2015 01 14 From the Director User Profile 02 16 Affliations Centre Highlights 04 23 Techniques Conferences and Visits 06 26 Feature Story Grant Success 07 29 Research Highlights Journal Papers 13 50 Impacting on Industry Journal Covers Inside Cover Image: Growing protein crystals, acquired by Paul Rigby on an Olympus BH-2 microscope, captured using polarised light Cover Image: Tight junction degradation of asthmatic airway epithelium in response to Human Rhinovirus exposure, acquired on the Nikon A1 confocal by Alysia Buckley, CMCA@Perkins From the Director The CMCA User Pathway is the concept- Multi-modal imaging is just one to-publication sequence of activities example of advanced data challenges that drives all aspects of what we that CMCA is seeking to meet head on do – ideate – register – plan – train with new academic lead, Dr Andrew – collect – analyse – publish. From Mehnert, who is designing strategies brainstorming and sanity checking at to support users at all levels, and the start, to providing blueprints for engaging with Australia’s eResearch methods sections and editing papers and informatics community, both Image: CMCA Director – at the finish, CMCA’s goal is to provide within the National Imaging Facility Professor David Sampson complete research solutions – and (NIF), the Australian Microscopy As we go to press in 2016, the NCRIS increasingly these solutions involve and Microanalysis Research Facility roadmapping process is well underway. multiple instrument platforms, and (AMMRF), and without. Undoubtedly, As a node of three capabilities, doing more with the data. more resources are needed in this area, AMMRF, MA and NIF, and partner in and we are looking for ways to achieve two more, the Australian National Correlative multi-modal microscopy this. But as Andrew’s strategy gains Fabrication Facility and AuScope, and imaging is a rapidly growing traction, look out for changes to the CMCA is definitely a ‘true believer’ in area in which we have many local way you store, access and process your the scheme. We are sincerely delighted examples. Now that CMCA supports data in the future. that the scheme that has brought you part of the Western Australian node CMCA flagships such as NIF’s 9.4T MRI of Metabolomics Australia (MA), and 2015 has also seen changes in how and AMMRF’s Ion Probe Facility, and we have completed the installation we are organised and conduct has delivered such innovations as the of the upgraded NMR facilities, the our business, in response to many globally acclaimed online training tool intersection of mass spectrometry factors. Late in the year, we signed an MyScope, will continue to deliver for and NMR is presenting opportunities agreement with Murdoch University to Australian Science. to be engaged, with other Western give Murdoch users of CMCA the same Australian node members, in a global rights and rates as UWA users, with At the first Exchange of Experience initiative in phenomics. And now that Murdoch central paying the difference Workshop of Global Bioimaging, in we have completed the installation in real cost. This landmark represents which Australia is a partner, held of the new focussed ion beam and a watershed in pan-institutional at the European Molecular Biology scanning electron microscopy facilities, cooperation in science infrastructure Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, we are seeing FIB-SEM combined with in WA, one that we hope to roll out to I can tell you first hand that Australia’s transmission electron microscopy ECU and Curtin universities in the near leadership in microscopy and imaging (TEM) increasingly being used as a future. Another renewed impetus has research infrastructure has not gone geoscience tool. The same is true for been in our engagement with industry, unnoticed. CMCA will be seeking to NanoSIMS, as the new instrument which has seen new projects brought continue to live up to this reputation forming part of the Advanced Resource on board, for example, with Proctor by delivering superior capability Characterisation Facility (a key and Gamble, and a doubling of our to the research community in capability of the National Resource income from these activities. Western Australia. Sciences Precinct) is increasingly being used in combination with electron probe microanalysis and TEM. I could go on, but you get the picture. cmca.uwa.edu.au 1 Advanced Resource Affiliations Characterisation Facility– The CMCA is a focus for microscopy and microanalysis activities National Resource Sciences across Western Australia and, through strong links and Precinct (NRSP)–Node collaborations, has both a national and international reputation. The National Resource Sciences Established in 1963 as a science infrastructure facility within The Precinct (NRSP) is a collaboration University of Western Australia to support research activity, the between CSIRO, Curtin University and Centre has a long and distinguished record of collaboration with the University of Western Australia researchers, industry and government agencies in the provision of (UWA) to connect the world’s best research expertise and technology. researchers with industry and government to tackle some of the most The Centre’s world-class facilities, with a replacement cost of $45M, complex challenges facing the resource comprise an extensive range of microscopy, microanalysis and industry. The then Federal Minister imaging instruments across six sites. for Industry, the Hon Ian Macfarlane MP, officially launched the National Resource Sciences Precinct on Tuesday National Imaging Facility Australian Microscopy and 8 April 2014. Microanalysis Research (NIF)–Node Facility (AMMRF)–Node CMCA’s role within the NRSP is to host Established under NCRIS and a node of the Advanced Resources Established under the Commonwealth expanded under the Commonwealth Characterisation Facility (ARCF). Government’s National Collaborative Government’s Education Investment Funded by CSIRO’s Science and Research Infrastructure Strategy Fund (EIF), the National Imaging Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF), (NCRIS), AMMRF is Australia’s Facility provides state-of-the-art the ARCF provides state-of-the- peak research facility for the imaging capability of animals, plants art analytical instrumentation for characterisation of materials and materials for the Australian high-end research in the resources through advanced microscopy research community. industry. CMCA has augmented its and microanalysis. The AMMRF world-class Ion Probe Facility with a facilitates access for all Australian In 2009, CMCA became the Western new NanoSIMS 50L, installed in 2015. researchers to world-class equipment, Australian node of the facility, the Curtin University hosts a LEAP 4000 for instrumentation and expertise through first organisation to host two NCRIS atom probe tomography, and CSIRO a national grid of nodes with varying capabilities. The facility features is developing its Maia mapper XRF microscopy capabilities and an array leading edge imaging capabilities for detector to operate without the need of flagship instrument platforms at the Western Australia including in vivo for synchrotron radiation. international cutting edge. micro-CT, multispectral imaging, and X-ray microscopy, as well as the The CMCA is the West Australian flagship 30cmbore 9.4 T MRI located at node of the AMMRF and features the QEII Medical Centre. the flagship ion probe capabilities, which consist of the NanoSIMS50, IMS1280 and NanoSIMS50L. Each of these instruments is unique to the Southern Hemisphere. The CMCA also collaborates with the John de Laeter Centre, which enjoys linked laboratory status in the AMMRF, in the management and operation of Western Australia’s ion probes. 2 The University of Western Australia AuScope–Partner Western Australian Centre International Atomic Energy for Microscopy (WACM)– Agency (IAEA)–Network AuScope is the national provider of Lead Node Laboratory integrated research infrastructure, bringing together the collective Together The University of Western The University of Western Australia potential of Australian earth Australia, Murdoch University, Curtin Safeguards Laboratory (UWASL), science researchers. Funded University, and Edith Cowan University located at the Centre for Microscopy, through NCRIS, AuScope provides a form the Western Australian Centre for Characterisation and Analysis national geoscience and geospatial Microscopy (WACM). These four publicly (CMCA) provides analytical services infrastructure system to transform our funded universities have a very strong to the International Atomic Energy understanding of the structure and and long collaborative history in regard Agency using the CAMECA IMS1280 evolution of the Australian continent. to electron microscopy and related ion microprobe. The analyses facilities, which is presently defined consist of measuring the uranium In partnership with the AMMRF, the by the 2010-2015 Memorandum of isotopic composition of micron-sized Government of Western Australia and Understanding (MoU). environmental particles collected UWA, AuScope helped establish the by inspectors from nuclear facilities world-class ion microprobe facility at This agreement between the partner around the world, to determine levels CMCA through the acquisition of the institutions sees CMCA acting as of uranium enrichment. The primary CAMECA IMS1280 large-geometry ion the hub for microscopy activities purpose is to police the nuclear non- probe. The