A Meeting of the ANU MICROSCOPY STRATEGIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MSTAG) was held at 1 pm 22nd July 2004 in the Robertson Seminar Room, RSBS

Present were Prof. Jonathan Stone (Chair), Prof Patrick de Deckker, Prof Barry Luther-Davies, Dr Tim Senden,Dr Edie Sevick, Dr Frances Shannon, Dr Zbigniew Stachurski, Dr Sally Stowe, Dr Rosemary White, Dr Ian Williams

1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed

2. Grant Applications
Dr Stowe reported that $50,000 towards the Zeiss Apotome Epi-fluorescence microscope had been received from an NH&MRC equipment grant, which completed the funds required for this instrument. A 2003 MEC application for an upright microscope for the laser confocal system had not been successful despite having approximately 50% funding from users, but since user demand was strong the purchase had been made, and alternative funding sources would be urgently explored.

The ANUEMU had received $14,000 from the ANU’s Teaching Facilities Fund for a number of small items – a video projector and screen, a light-weight digital camera with a microscope adapter tube and flat screen to be moved between microscopes and used for teaching of fine manipulations such as those involved in sectioning for EM, several LCD video screens and a 4800dpi film scanner.

Applications were currently in play for two major items, a laser capture microscope (LCM) to be operated in conjunction with molecular biology faciltiies, and a multipurpose analytical field emission SEM. For the LCM, which had a substantial proportion of the price committed from user groups including ANU, CSIRO and Charles Sturt University, bids were lodged with MEC and ARC-Linkage; no commitment had been made from the EM Reserve. For the SEM, a bid was lodged with ARC-Linkage, with funds committed from the EM Reserve and from a number of ANU user groups.

3. Report on commissioning of new equipment in ANUEMU: (Focused Ion Beam, Apotome, Upright confocal)
The Apotome was essentially operating well, albeit with some teething problems, and manufacturer support had been good.
Dr Stowe reported that the FIB was also operating well. Staff and a few users were progressing along a learning curve expected to be long, at a rate which seemed to be comparable with experiences in other labs. A student from RSPhysSE, Darren Freeman, had built a pattern generator for ion beam control which would be a large boost to the versatility of the instrument – a few users were visiting from Sydney. Prof Luther-Davies expressed doubts about the stability of the system compared to another model at UNSW. Dr Stowe considered that the instrument was within specifications, and different strengths and weaknesses between models were to be expected – the ANU instrument for instance had been reported to deliver a considerably greater etch rate for the same nominal probe current. She agreed that a substantial investment in time was required for users to become proficient.
Experiences with the upright microscope addition to the laser scanning confocal setup had been less happy, with substantial problems in the operation of the basic software. They were expected to be overcome, but Professor Stone indicated that he had put a “stop” on further payment in the interim.

4.ANU Microscopy Resources
There was general discussion on the role of MSTAG in relation to other campus committees, the feeling being that as well as providing advice on issues concerning ANUEMU, MSTAG could, if called upon, effectively fill the advisory role of the Microscopy sub-committee of MEC.
In relation to future development of microscopy facilities on campus, Dr Stowe made the point that ANUEMU had limited potential for supporting more facilities should they be required, and suggested that spatially separate independent or semi-independent nodes (of which there were several examples in RSES) might in any case be more administratively cost-effective and responsive to users. Professor Luther-Davies mentioned the possibility of a building on campus specifically designed for nanomaterials research, that might house e-beam lithography instrumentation.
In relation to forward planning for microscopy purchases, Dr Stowe said that after the equipment currently the subject of grant applications were obtained, there was at this stage no clear priority evident amongst the items listed on the 5-10 year plan for campus microscopy (published on the EMU website).
The committee decided to make forward planning the main topic at its next meeting.

5 It was agreed that the next meeting would be held at 1pm on Thursday 7th October.

The meeting closed at 12.50 pm