Microscopy Center Staff

Most of the 80-100 research scientists and the 20-40 graduate students (representing 20 or more academic departments) who use the facilities each year rely on the services provided by the staff, as they find that skilled technicians can save both time and expense.  Laboratory personnel support the day-to-day operation of the instruments and handle minor breakdowns and all necessary routine maintenance.  They are also available to counsel, assist, or cooperate in the entire procedure from experimental design to fixation, dehydration, embedding, sectioning, staining, critical-point drying, coating, examination, and photography of samples, and interpretation of results. 

Thomas P. Freeman (PhD, Botany; MA, Botany), Director of the University Electron Microscopy Center since 1975, has over 40 years of professional experience including more than 80 refereed publications.  Areas of research and teaching expertise include electron and light microscopy, cell ultrastructure, cell biology, plant anatomy, plant morphology, and microtechniques.  Responsibilities include purchasing and maintenance of equipment, supervision and coordination of daily laboratory operations, developing interdisciplinary research efforts, collaboration on the design of ultrastructural research projects, and assisting researchers with interpretation of ultrastructural data.  He is a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology.

Scott Payne, (MS, Organometallic Synthesis), Assistant Director, has over 10 years’ experience with the operation and routine maintenance of the scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray detector, transmission electron microscopes, and confocal/light microscopes and all aspects of the day-to-day operation of this facility.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:  prioritizing laboratory research efforts, scheduling and managing instrument usage for research and teaching, acquisition and interpretation of structural and ultrastructural data from the electron microscopes, acquisition of elemental x-ray information in the form of maps, linescans and point data; supervision of research specialists and hourly em­ployees, preparation of biological and physical samples for light and electron microscopy including fixation, dehydration, critical point drying, embedding, staining, sputter coating, photographic and digital imaging services, and collaborating with research scientists and students to develop new and unique procedures for acquisition and presentation of ultrastructural data for use in publications, presentations and theses/dissertations.

Jayma Moore (DVM; MS, Veterinary Anatomy and Fine Structure; MS, Parasitology), Laboratory Manager, has over five years’ experience with the operation and routine maintenance of the scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopes, confocal/light microscopes and all aspects of the day-to-day operation of this facility.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:  ultramicrotomy providing ultra­thin sections of materials and biological samples, preparation of biological and physical samples for light and electron microscopy (including fixation, dehydration, critical point drying, embedding, staining, and sputter coating), photographic and digital imaging services, acquisition and interpretation of structural and ultrastructural data from the electron microscopes, and collaborating with research scientists and students to develop new and unique procedures for acquisition and presentation of ultra­structural data for use in publications, presentations and theses/dissertations.

updated 20 May 2008 9:38 AM

E-Mail:ndsu.em.center@ndsu.edu
Department of Plant Pathology
Northern Crop Science Laboratory
1307 N. 18 St.
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105
Phone: 701-231-8435