| On behalf of the entire VINSE team, I wish you happiness and success in this New Year. VINSE has many exciting events planned over the next several months. In addition to our monthly colloquia and biannual short courses, please plan to attend my Director’s Coffee Hour on February 7th, a special VINSE Entrepreneurship Seminar on February 21st, and, back by popular demand, a VINSE Community Picnic in Edwin Warner Park on April 20th.
Let me take this opportunity to welcome Dr. Daniel Gonzales, a new faculty member in BME who has joined the VINSE community and carries out neurotechnology research. Thanks to Daniel, VINSE now has a new Parylene deposition tool that can be used to deposit conformal biocompatible coatings.
Finally, VINSE has started working with the Vanderbilt Research Development and Support team to carry out strategic planning for a possible NSF MRSEC proposal submission next year. Please reach out to me with ideas for high impact materials-focused research challenges that require an interdisciplinary team of researchers to address.
Have a great semester!
Sharon Weiss
Director, VINSE
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| Welcome New VINSE Faculty
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Welcome Dr. Daniel Gonzales! Dr. Gonzales started working at Vanderbilt this spring in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and is our newest VINSE faculty member.
"My lab develops a wide range of neurotechnologies to study and interrogate neural activity," Dr. Gonzales said. "We specialize in combining microfabricated, transparent brain-machine interfaces with optical modalities for recording activity across massive spatial scales, from individual synapses up to brain-wide networks. Our goal is to unlock the computations of cortical networks to enable powerful new capabilities for neuroprosthetics.”
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VINSE is excited to announce two new tools available for use by the VINSE community! First, an SPTS Xactix e2 XeF2 vapor etch tool is now installed in the Cleanroom. This system provides high-selectivity isotropic etching of silicon and other materials for release of movable components and is an enabling technology for micro-electromechanical (MEMS) devices and heterogeneous integration. Second, a SCS Labcoter 3 Parylene deposition system is now installed in the Sample Prep lab. This system provides a conformal biocompatible for applications including medical devices and electronics.
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VINSE Analytical Lab & Cleanroom Open House
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Interested in learning more about the VINSE Analytical Lab and Cleanroom facility? Want to know how our tools can support your research? Join us on February 29, 2024 from 1:00-4:00pm and use any tool... at no cost! VINSE staff will also be available to discuss tool capabilities and answer specific questions related to your research needs.
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Apply now for Summer 2024 Tech Crew
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VINSE is currently accepting applications for its Summer 2024 Tech Crew program, an immersive opportunity for Vanderbilt students to work in a Class 100 cleanroom and learn equipment and skills for cutting edge areas of nanoscience and nanoengineering. During this paid 10-week program, students will work closely with cleanroom staff and researchers to understand how a cleanroom operates. Please encourage qualified and enthusiastic undergraduates to apply.
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Back by popular demand, VINSE is hosting another Community Picnic this year with food, drink, games, and lots of fun. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
When: April 20 from 11:00-1:30
Where: Edwin Warner Park, Picnic Shelter 6
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VINSE is offering three short courses in spring; Atomic Force Microscopy, Electron Microscopy and Microfluidic Device Fabrication Short Courses. These professional development short courses are open to everyone, not just VINSE users or Vanderbilt personnel.
+ Learn more and register for Atomic Force Microscopy
+ Learn more and register for Electron Microscopy
+ Learn more and register for Microfluidic Device Fabrication
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Thirty-four students have joined the NanoGuides team since launching this initiative this past fall. This program formalizes the group of student volunteers who lead many of VINSE’s STEM outreach activities and now receive formal recognition for their passion for science outreach. If you are passionate about science and want to get involved in VINSE K-12 outreach, sign-up to become a VINSE NanoGuide. If you are already a NanoGuide, you can now sign up for spring events.
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Immersion Vanderbilt is a cornerstone of the Vanderbilt undergraduate experience, and VINSE embraces immersive education as part of its mission. Together with the Wond’ry, CTTC, and Engineering Management, VINSE teaches Nanoscale Innovation and Making, a highly immersive course in which students learn about nanotechnology from concept to commercialization. Students are taught nano-fabrication and characterization techniques in the cleanroom, and build a prototype of a nano-inspired product of their own design. Last semester, these products included an integrated foot sensor for custom insoles to and a hydrophobic soap dish that prevents grime and mold. Contact us if you want to explore how to integrate VINSE immersive experiences into your course.
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Chemical imaging on Tecnai Osiris, Skaar group, published in Nature, Nov. 2023
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Did you know that the VINSE Tecnai Osiris transmission and scanning transmission electron microscope (TEM/STEM) boasts the best imaging spatial resolution achievable at Vanderbilt with a STEM resolution down to 0.16 nm? This system can operate with accelerating voltages from 60 kV to 200 kV, facilitating its use for both materials and biological sciences. The capabilities of the Osiris’s nanoscale analysis and elemental imaging were recently highlighted in three Nature papers in 2023. Reach out to James McBride to learn how the Osiris TEM/STEM can facilitate your research.
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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NanoDay! Poster Award Winners
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STAY ON TRACK WITH 2024 VINSE CALENDAR
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HAVE A NEWS HIGHLIGHT? SUBMIT IT TO BE FEATURED!
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