Geneseo Receives Major Research Instrumentation Award from the NSF

Integrated Science Center at SUNY Geneseo

GENESEO, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo’s Departments of Biology and Chemistry will benefit from a National Science Foundation (NSF) major research instrumentation award of $38,125 for the purchase of a new imaging system.

The system, a UVP BioSpectrum 815, is an advanced imaging system and will accelerate research in biology, biochemistry and chemistry through it increased sensitivity for data collection, among other benefits.

The principal investigator for the award is Jani Lewis, associate professor of biology. Co-principal investigators are Kevin Militello, associate professor of biology, and Travis Bailey, assistant professor of biology. Senior personnel for the award are Ruel McKnight, professor of chemistry; Robert O’Donnell, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biology; Elizabeth Hutchison, assistant professor of biology; and Robert Feissner, lecturer in biology.

More than 30 undergraduate students per year will use the imager in faculty-led research projects and more than 200 undergraduates per year will use the imaginer in their laboratory classwork in the areas of ecology, genetics, molecular and cellular biology, immunology, chemistry, biochemistry, neurobiology and environmental sciences. The instrument will immediately be incorporated into several laboratory courses in the biology and chemistry departments and in a number of ongoing research projects at Geneseo. Additional investigators in those departments and at least one in the psychology department also may use the instrument to benefit their research projects.

The system also will eliminate the vast amounts of hazardous waste being generated by outdated methods of image acquisition presently used by the biology and chemistry departments.

Media Contact:
David Irwin
College Communications
(585) 245-5529
Irwin@geneseo.edu