News

When inspiration strikes, having access to scientific instrumentation can make the difference in being able to pursue a world-changing idea. Lack of funding should not be a barrier.

Through the generosity of the Deans of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the barrier is coming down. On January 25th, the WVU Shared Research Facilities will be announcing the Deans’ Instrumentation Seed Program for Innovative Research. Deans’ InSPIRe is designed to allow faculty in these participating colleges limited, free access to SRF instrumentation. The WVU Research Office is matching the Deans’ contributions, dollar for dollar.

Meet with WVU Shared Research Facilities Managers and tour SRF facilities during its Winter Open House, January 25th from 2-5 PM at its locations on the Evansdale and Downtown campuses.

WVU SRF provides access to, training for, and assistance with high end research instruments, including TEM and SEM in Electron Microscopy Facilities; Raman, FTIR, AFM, XPS, and XRD in Materials Characterization Facilities; EBL, PLD, RIE with ICP, and other nanofabrication techniques in class-100, 1,000, and 10,000 Cleanroom Facilities; and HPLC/Orbitrap mass spectrometer, CD spectropolarimeter, and spectrofluorometer for proteomics, metabolomics, and related applications in BioNano Research Facilities.   

SRF Electron Microscopy Facilities Manager, Dr. Marcela Redigolo, has been named the Chemical Hygiene Officer for Shared Research Facilities. She is responsible for overseeing the annual chemical inventory update across all SRF laboratories on both the downtown and Evansdale campuses.

She also maintains the comprehensive list of trained laboratory personnel--students as well as staff who use SRF labs--ensuring that all attend mandatory annual HazComm/Lab Safety/Haz Waste training. Dr. Redigolo is the lead provider of the SRF's introductory training program--General Laboratory and Chemical Safety Training. She bears lead responsibility for reviewing and revising or creating specific chemical hygiene plans for SRF labs. She can provide technical assistance to laboratory staff regarding chemical handling, storage, use, and disposal.

Qi Zeng, Ph.D. has been appointed as the Manager of the SRF BioNano Research Facilities. Dr. Zeng received her bachelor's degree in chemistry in 2009 from Renmin University of China and her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 2015 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Her research involved the development of a nanoHPLC-MS analysis method for fruit fly hemolyph using bottom-up proteomics. In addition to her academic experience, Dr. Zeng has also worked in the private sector as a research scientist developing reverse osmosis membranes for the polymer industry. Her research interests focus on HPLC, GC, and MS method development for raw, intermediate, and final product quality control.