DFG funds Centre for Electron Microscopy at the University of Augsburg

With the help of funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), a new Centre for Electron Microscopy is being established at the Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg. The aim is to create an organisational infrastructure that enables effective use of cutting-edge equipment by researchers at other institutes within the university as well as by external research institutes.

One of the two cutting-edge, analytical transmission electron microscopes at the Institute of Physics © University of Augsburg

Complex and cost-intensive equipment play an essential role in many areas of research. With the new centre, known as ELMICAU, the DFG programme aims to provide an improved range of services with stable structures and accessibility, leading to more effective utilisation of equipment by both internal university staff and external users. The DFG is funding the new Centre for Electron Microscopy at the University of Augsburg for three years to the tune of €150,000 within the context of the funding programme “Gerätezentren – Core Facilities.”

Scientists at the Institute of Physics at Augsburg are conducting research with a wide-range of applications on a number of high-resolution electron microscopes. Alongside two cutting-edge, analytical transmission electron microscopes, the institute has several scanning electron microscopes with a wide range of equipment features. The equipment, which is located at number of different chairs, will be used by working groups at the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Materials Resource Management to research the structure and composition of modern materials right down to the atomic scale.

Researching in a team

The new equipment centre will provide a high-level structure, uniting expertise in the area of electron microscopy at the University of Augsburg. This will promote scientific exchange between researchers, facilitating access to large-scale research equipment. “Successful research is only possible in a team nowadays – the ELMICAU will serve us researchers as a meeting place for scientific exchange, providing expertise on complex equipment for all research groups. I look forward to an exciting, research-rich future at the centre,” says Dr Aladin Ullrich, Coordinator of the Centre.

The network university and cooperation with industry

The ELMICAU will be closely linked with existing facilities at the University of Augsburg as well as those currently being established, including the Centre for Advanced Analytics and Predictive Sciences (CAAPS). Cooperation with the Comprehensive Cancer Centre Augsburg (CAAPS) at the Faculty of Medicine is also planned. “We are excited by the opportunities presented by the centre and look forward to the scientific exchange,” says Prof Manfred Albrecht, who alongside Prof Ferdinand Haider is scientific head of the centre.

The Application Centre for Materials and Environmental Research (AMU), with its many years of experience, stands to aid cooperation with industry, complementing the opportunities for making a broad spectrum of analysis methods accessible to the public. “We are delighted about the DFG funding, which only confirms our successful work, especially with respect to our many cooperations with industry,” explains Dr Timo Körner, head of contract analysis and engineering at the AMU.