Three formal courses are available for hands-on and theoretical training.
Each course is available to both undergraduate and graduate students. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Students in the in-depth training courses need to obtain a research sponsor. Contact instructor for additional information.
These courses work best as project-based authentic learning experiences in the laboratory, and as such, students should enroll in them when they have a designated research project that would specifically benefit from the methods included in the course. A major change being implemented this year is that the student's advisor will be expected to pay for the instrument time needed to work on the student’s research project, as would be expected for any other student use of the equipment for research.
The funding required will vary depending on which instruments are needed and what the goals of the research are. See here for the hourly rates for using the equipment. You want to look at the 'internal unassisted' rates to get an idea of the costs, which run from $25 to $45/hr depending on the SEM, for example. Use the table below to estimate how much recharge fees the student's PI would likely need to provide for the student to use the equipment to collect data, which should be both towards the PI's research project and the student's course project at the same time.
| course | low estimate | medium estimate | high estimate | estimated SRNML-covered training fees (not charged to PI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALM | $ 70.00 | $ 105.00 | $ 280.00 | $ 325.50 |
| SEM | $ 64.00 | $ 206.00 | $ 404.00 | $ 700.00 |
| TEM | $ 83.00 | $ 273.00 | $ 480.00 | $ 1,232.00 |
SRNML frequently hosts tours and demos for other courses, and SRNML personnel frequently give guest lectures and seminars. Just ask!
The Certificate Program in Microscopic Imaging and Technology is designed for graduate students with a strong interest in the investigation of using advanced imaging technology to characterize biological, materials and physical science specimens at a range of resolutions that can reach to a near atomic level. Students who may be interested with this certificate come from a wide range of interests (e.g., Biology, Microbiology, Plant Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Sciences, Nanotechnology, Physics).
Requirements
Complete twelve hours of core microscopy courses:
BIOL/MBIO/PBIO 5364 Transmission Electron Microscopy (4 credits)
BIOL/MBIO/PBIO 5374 Scanning Electron Microscopy (4 credits)
BIOL/MBIO/PBIO 5394 Advanced Light Microscopy (4 credits)
Complete three hours of independent research in which student demonstrates research skills in microscopy as part of their graduate research: To fulfill this requirement, students will enroll in three hours of graduate research courses that utilize microscopy imaging and technology, M/PBIOL 5990 Special Studies. Students applying to work with SRNML Personnel for Special Studies should write a short description of their Special Studies plan that includes:
View the Graduate Certificate Program Report (PDF) for program requirements. We are happy to answer questions. For questions on Microscopy coursework contact srnml@ou.edu or amadden@ou.edu.
Students must submit a separate application to the certificate program on the Graduate College Website. Once admitted students will submit the Graduate Program Certificate Report with the signature of the signature of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology Graduate Liaison regardless of their home degree program.
