The Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation recently awarded a grant of $38,685 to Victoria D. Moore, Karl D. Sienerth and Kathryn M. Matera.
Moore, assistant professor of chemistry, is the Principal Investigator for the project, titled “Acquisition of a Multimode Spectrophotometer by Elon University to Enhance Undergraduate Research and Teaching in Chemistry and Biochemistry.”
The award will be used to purchase a multimode spectrophotometer, a microplate reader which will enhance research capabilities and open the door for new lab experiences in biochemistry and chemistry courses. It will be used immediately in research labs at Elon to support and enhance faculty and student research involved with the study of basic science principles such as peptide aggregates, protein-protein binding, biochemical changes to mitochondria during apoptosis and quantitative measurements of environmental and explosive compounds. Students such as Andrew Fischer and Cecilia Smith , Elon College Fellows and Lumen Prize winners, and Kelsey Van Dalfsen, Elon College Fellow, Lumen Prize winner and recipient of a Goldwater scholarship, will be able to advance their research and undergraduate research experience by utilizing state-of-the-art fluorescence and luminescence technology. Additionally, chemistry and biochemistry faculty will be able to integrate the spectrophotometer into hands-on experiences in a variety of courses. In general, the acquisition of this multimode spectrophotometer will introduce modern fluorescence and luminescence methods into the core biochemistry and chemistry curriculum, thereby enhancing both majors.