School using $330K grant to buy high-definition microscope

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - Western Illinois University has won more than $330,000 in grant money that the school will use to purchase a scanning electron microscope.

Officials at the Macomb school say seven faculty members collaborated to win the National Science Foundation grant. Scientists at the school say the high-definition microscope will be useful in several departments including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, sociology and anthropology. The microscope has the ability to photograph images and analyze what elements the samples contain.

The new microscope will replace an obsolete model that the university purchased more than 30 years ago. Faculty and students who wanted to use the new technology previously had to travel to Peoria or Iowa to find suitable equipment.

WIU is seeking bids and hopes to have one in place for the spring semester.