In early 2019, AMSA became the first public high school in the country to have a scanning electron microscope, or a SEM, but this exceptional piece of equipment seems to go largely unnoticed except by students in certain research classes.
AMSA received the SEM as a donation from the company Thermo Fisher Scientific, which makes everything from large pieces of equipment to glassware and safety goggles. A member of the AMSA community had a contact inside the company.
So why isn’t it one of AMSA’s most obvious talking points, since “science” is in the name of the school? Three pretty simple reasons: the pandemic, the fact that it can never be disconnected from a power source, and that it is very delicate.
The school’s attempt to initially showcase the microscope was hampered somewhat by the Covid pandemic, which shuttered the school as remote learning became the order of the day.
“When we came back from the pandemic, the SEM survived, and I know that sounds really silly, but nobody touched that SEM for almost a year, because we weren’t allowed in the building,” science department chair Christina Jagielski said.
It might sound silly, but the microscope needs to stay powered at all times for it to continue to work. In fact, the machine has a backup battery that will last for around 96 hours in case of a power outage.
Since the SEM cannot be unplugged, that means that it cannot be moved around for different classes. Anyone who wants or needs to use it has to go into the prep room on the third floor of the Upper School.
It is kept in the prep room because that room is a very private area, so people cannot crowd it and it is less at risk of being damaged or tampered with.
Students in certain research classes are typically allowed to use the SEM as needed if they want to look at a sample under the microscope and get a photo of it.
“I would love to showcase it more at science night, but it is such a chaotic event,” Ms. Jagielski said. “Plus, doing it safely with a bunch of people around is really hard.”
Not being able to showcase the SEM has allowed it to go unnoticed by the AMSA community for a long time. Even some students are unaware that the school has it or knows what it does.
Since the SEM cannot be used by many people at a time, it is only used in research classes for higher grade levels, such as the scientific instrumentation class with Dr. Michael Clarage or biochemistry with Robert Jekanoski.
It also requires a specific procedure to use, and it must be kept in a very safe and sanitary environment. If it were to get contaminated, the school would have to send it back in order for it to be taken apart and cleaned. Every sample has to be completely sterile, and gloves must be worn when using the SEM.
Learning how to use the SEM can also be a difficult process, involving learning how to work the focuses and lenses and other procedures in order to take photos.
But it is used, and it is a crucial learning resource. Two students are working with it this year to create and measure magnetic nanoparticles, which could theoretically be used as a method for treating/curing cancer.
Because it takes only black-and-white photos, students in the past have colorized images as part of an art project.
It is in constant use, and it is a vital resource — even if few people actually see it in action.
