Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis CMCA | 2013-2014 01 14 From the Director Impacting on Industry 02 15 Affliations Research Highlights 04 16 Techniques User Profile 06 19 Feature Story Centre Highlights 07 24 Research Highlights Staff 08 25 Biological and Conferences Biomedical Sciences and Visits 10 27 Earth Sciences Journal Papers 12 Inside Cover Image: Antarctic ‘Hair Grass’ Physical Sciences root cross-section, showing the arrangement of cells. Image by Assoc. Professor Peta Clode. 13 Cover Image: X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of teeth from the Research Usage and marine mollusc Acanthopleura hirtosa. Data Training captured on a Zeiss Versa 520 XRM. Image visualised using Drishti software. Image acquired by Dr Jeremy Shaw at CMCA. From the Director There is an ever-increasing appreciation of the new scientific opportunities enabled by convergence – the coming together of scientific insights and approaches from originally Image: CMCA Director - separate fields. This convergence Professor David Sampson provides the power to think beyond In Western Australia, CMCA is usual paradigms and to approach promoting convergence amongst the issues informed by many perspectives local research community. Through its instead of few. Convergent research is membership of the National Resource driving the solution of the most difficult Sciences Precinct, it is participating problems facing us as a society today. in a seamless integration of the resource science Characterisation CMCA is a convergence research infrastructures of CSIRO, Curtin organisation, engaged in synthesizing University and CMCA. It is also poised and integrating all areas of science to level the science infrastructure – pouring the traditional disciplines playing field in WA, with a landmark in Biological Sciences, Biomedical agreement with Murdoch University Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Physical to provide its researchers with the Sciences into a large melting pot. In same access to CMCA facilities as 2014, CMCA’s Associate Professor Matt UWA researchers. Kilburn, a geologist who leads the AMMRF Flagship Ion Probe Facility, No area of science epitomises the took his sabbatical at Harvard Medical opportunity and need for convergence School, to advance his understanding more than the biosciences. CMCA of how a geoscience tool, the has traditionally not gone beyond NanoSIMS 50, might be applied to examining cells, an artificial and biomedical research – convergence increasingly restrictive barrier in in action. 2015. Molecular analysis of single cells represents an important area of future Convergence implies breadth and investment. And to capitalise on its bio- such breadth is in evidence in similar mass spectrometry capability, CMCA core facilities around the country, is currently in the advanced stages especially in Go8 universities. Several of integrating with the UWA node of universities, such as Monash and Metabolomics Australia, which will see UNSW, have already established broad, a great enhancement in its molecular integrated core facilities. Others, such science capability, supporting as Melbourne, Sydney, and UQ, have leading UWA research in plant biology placed their science infrastructure and medicine. under the spotlight seeking to better integrate, coordinate and link. And So why do we do all this? Well, CMCA the drive to do this was present in is all about its users – about helping the national framework as far back to make your research better – about as the 2011 Strategic Roadmap for making sure you can access the Australian Research Infrastructure, facilities and expertise you need, when which highlighted the future need you need it, across the board. Working for interaction between research together, we can make your great priorities and capabilities. As a broad research even greater. and integrated organisation, CMCA has remained ahead of this national curve. cmca.uwa.edu.au 1 Image: Electrospun chitosan nanofibres in Affiliations neural network type structure taken by Michael Bradshaw, PhD student on Zeiss 1555 VP-SEM at the CMCA UWA. The CMCA is a focus for microscopy, characterisation and microanalysis activities across Western Australia and, through Australian Microscopy and strong links and collaborations, Microanalysis Research has an excellent reputation both Facility (AMMRF) nationally and internationally. Western Australian Centre for Microscopy (WACM) Established under the Commonwealth Established in 1963 as a Government’s National Collaborative science infrastructure facility Together The University of Western Research Infrastructure Strategy within The University of Australia, Murdoch University, Curtin (NCRIS), AMMRF is Australia’s Western Australia to support University, and Edith Cowan University peak research facility for the research activity, the Centre form the Western Australian Centre for characterisation of materials has a long and distinguished Microscopy (WACM). These four publicly through advanced microscopy record of collaboration with funded universities have a very strong and microanalysis. The AMMRF researchers, industry and and long collaborative history in regard facilitates access for all Australian government agencies in the to electron microscopy and related researchers to world-class equipment, provision of research expertise facilities, which is presently defined instrumentation and expertise through and technology. by the 2010-2015 Memorandum of a national grid of nodes with varying Understanding (MoU). microscopy capabilities and an array Its world-class facilities, with of flagship instrument platforms at the a replacement cost of $50M, This agreement between the partner international cutting edge. comprise an extensive range of institutions sees CMCA acting as microscopy, microanalysis and the hub for microscopy activities The CMCA is the West Australian node imaging instruments across in the State, and strong cross of the AMMRF and features the flagship six sites. institutional support for infrastructure ion probe capabilities, which consist acquisition and management. of the NanoSIMS50 and IMS 1280 and The basis of the WACM MoU is that a second NanoSIMS50L funded by the major capital infrastructure must be National Resource Science Precinct, is shared to achieve the most cost- due to arrive in mid-2015. Each of these efficient utilisation. instruments is unique to the Southern Hemisphere. Under the terms of the MoU, researchers from all of the partner The CMCA also collaborates with the universities can access the John de Laeter Centre, which enjoys grouped facilities of WACM without linked laboratory status in the AMMRF, discrimination. This agreement has led in the management and operation of to another landmark agreement with Western Australia’s ion probe facilities. Murdoch University to cross subsidise its researchers access to CMCA. 2 The University of Western Australia National Imaging Facility (NIF) Established under NCRIS and expanded under the Commonwealth Government’s Education Investment Fund(EIF), the National Imaging Facility provides state-of-the-art imaging capability of animals, plants and materials for the Australian research community. National Resource In 2009, CMCA became the Western Sciences Precinct Australian node of the facility, the first organisation to host two NCRIS The National Resource Sciences capabilities. The facility features Australian National Precinct (NRSP) is a collaboration leading edge imaging capabilities for Fabrication Facility (ANFF) between CSIRO, Curtin University and Western Australia including in vivo The University of Western Australia (UWA) to connect the world’s best micro-CT, multispectral imaging, Established under NCRIS, the researchers with industry and and X-ray microscopy, as well as the Australian National Fabrication Facility government to tackle some of the flagship 30cmbore 9.4 T MRI located (ANFF) provides researchers and most complex challenges facing the at CMCA@Perkins in the Harry Perkins industry with access to state-of-the-art resource industry. The Federal Minister Institiute of Medical Research, at the fabrication facilities. QEII medical Centre. for Industry, the Hon Ian Macfarlane MP, officially launched the National The capability provided by ANFF Resource Sciences Precinct on Tuesday enables users to process hard materials 8 April 2014. (metals, composites and ceramics) AuScope and soft materials (polymers and CMCA’s role within the NRSP will polymer-biological moieties) and be to help establish the Advanced AuScope is a characterisation transform these into structures Resources Characterisation Facility capability funded through the that have application in sensors, (ARCF). Funded by CSIRO’s Science and National Collaborative Research medical devices, nanophotonics and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF), the Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) with nanoelectronics. ARCF will install and operate state- a focus on establishing world-class of-the-art analytical instrumentation research infrastructure to characterise The CMCA houses the Panalytical for high-end research in the resources the structure and evolution of the Empyrean powder diffractometer. industry. CMCA will augment its Australian continent in a global context world-class Ion Probe Facility with a from surface to core in space and time. new NanoSIMS 50L. Curtin University will install a LEAP 4000 for atom probe In partnership with the AMMRF, the tomography, which CSIRO will develop Government of Western Australia its Maia mapper XRF detector to