Workshops/Events

Summer 2002 - Gathered team of teachers, educators, scientists. Learned about nanoscience, nanotechnology, and mineral-microbe interactions. Brainstormed about future project goals and directions.

Summer 2003 - Curriculum development workshop and testing workshops. Wrote and tested curriculum within groups.

Future plans and events

Summer 2002 Workshop

How does nanoscale science of a mineral surface and biogeochemistry research lab translate to a high school curriculum? Five teachers from southwestern Virginia participated in a summer workshop in the Department of Geological Sciences at Virginia Tech with the objective of learning about microbe/mineral interactions at the nanoscale, and working with a team of faculty and graduate students to incorporate nanoscience in the high school classroom. Teachers from city, suburban, and rural schools who teach biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, and mathematics learned about nanoscience and its potential to address many environmental issues related to the microbe-mineral interface, such as contaminant remediation and bacterial transport in the subsurface. Teachers then generated and analyzed data from the atomic force microscope and a field emission electron microscope. Collectively the group of teachers and scientists distilled the important aspects of the workshop that might be applied to the teacher’s respective subject areas, and plans were made for extensive curricular development in the upcoming 4-year period.

PICTURES

Learning about nanotechnology - Angelie follows along as Treavor leads an activity to prepare the teachers for using the Atomic Force Microscope

Tracy describes how measurements at the nanoscale can be used to predict the transport of bacteria

Andre', Mary, Karen, and Drew get started preparing their samples for the next day's labwork.

Mary adjusting the Atomic Force Microscope while Treavor looks on

Steve McCartney from the Virginia Tech Materials Research Institiute helps Andre' learn how to drive the Scanning Electron Microscope

Using computers and mathematics to process the Atomic Force Microscope data; Treavor leading everyone through their own dataset

Using the Excel computer program, Angelie works with Chris to compare her force data with mathematical models to explain their data and predict how her force curves might change with different physical conditions

The brainstorm session begins! Maddy listens as George struggles to keep up with all of the ideas...

Who says collaboration can't be fun? Andy and Andre' taking a break from the Scanning Electron Microscope

WORKSHOP AGENDA

Monday, June 17

Virgnia Tech Department of Geosciences
Welcome and workshop introduction, Dr. Susan Eriksson
Pre-curriculum discussion, Dr. George Glasson
General overview of nanoscience and technology, Dr. Chris Tadanier

"Tools of the Trade"

Introduction to Scanning Probe Microscopy, Treavor Kendall
Introduction to Electron Microscopy, Andrew Madden
Brief tour of NanoGeoscience and Technology Laboratory

Presentations of current and future research projects:

Environmental significance of mineral-microbe interactions, Dr. Madeline Schreiber

Measuring interfacial forces between bacteria and mineral surfaces: Biological Force Microscopy (BFM), Dr. Tadanier

Chemical Force Microscopy (CFM) using microbial siderophores, Treavor Kendall

Microparticle transport and optical tweezers, Tracy Cail

 

Electron transfer properties of nanoscale minerals: observations with enzyme-activated AFM, Andrew Madden

Summarize day, prepare for labwork. Make AFM/SEM samples (halite precipitation).

Tuesday, July 18

Introduction to laboratory projects· Break into two groups, one group to work with the AFM and the other with the SEM
Groups move to respective labs, begin laboratory projects
Groups switch projects; if previously on AFM, go to SEM and vice versa

Wednesday, July 19

Relocate to Derring Computer Room 2069 for data and image processing
Brainstorming and planning for research and curriculum development

Thursday, July 20

Refreshments available in conference room
Planning session for project activities

End of workshop

RESULTS OF LABORATORY EXPERIENCE

An exerpt from the laboratory worksheets used to determine the spring constant of the AFM cantilever

AFM image of a halite crystal surface collected by the teachers, showing the topography of a 1 x 1 micrometer (1000 x 1000 nm area

Force curves collected with the AFM and processed for visualization. The top panel shows the interaction between an AFM tip and mica surface in air, bottom panel in water. This illustrates the capillary effect; the force due to an adsorbed layer of water when the mineral is exposed to air.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image of Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) cantilever used in our experiments

Summer 2003 Workshops

Curriculum writing and testing in progress: