Application to purchase an ultra-microtome and hardness tester as instruments, respectively, to prepare specimens for atomic force, light and scanning/transmission electron microscopy, and to measure surface hardness with broad application potential in diverse research fields, among which studying soft and hard human tissues, biomaterials and their mutual interfacial interactions.

This grant application targets the purchase of an ultra-microtome and hardness tester, two research tools indispensable in (bio)materals research. Ultra-microtomy is a specimen-preparation technique to prepare semi/ultra-thin sections and smooth surfaces for high-resolution microscopy, including atomic-force (AFM), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This device perfectly complements the recently awarded medium-scale research-infrastructure grant to acquire a STEM/EDS for high-resolution imaging and chemical elemental mapping to study soft/hard tissues, biomaterials and interfacial biomaterial-tissue interactions; it will serve a broad multidisciplinary research consortium consisting of 22 partners belonging to 13 KU Leuven research groups. Among broad (bio)material research applications, the hardness tester, no longer available at KU Leuven, is needed in light of two recent strategic multidisciplinary (bio-engineering & dentistry) KU Leuven- and FWO-funded research projects to develop a new generation of innovative BIOSAFE and BIOACTIVE dental composites.

Keywords:Ultra-microtomy, Hardness, (Bio)materials, Multidisciplinary research, High-resolution microscopy

Disciplines:Biomaterials, Dental materials and equipment