User Access
We are always looking to facilitate new and exciting scientific discoveries and help solve engineering challenges. If you think the MASC Lab may be able to help with your work, contact us!
We are equally dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and engineers. If you would like to use the MASC Lab facilities for educational purposes (class visits, demonstrations, remote instrument use, science fair projects, community non-profit groups, etc.) please contact us and inquire! We will typically cover the costs of these activities with internal funding.
Research and Industrial Users: MASC Lab users are required to complete instrument training (or successfully complete MICR 315: Electron Microscopy & Microanalysis) to utilize MASC Lab instrumentation (SEM-EDS and/or µXRF). Following completion of training, users will be permitted to schedule instrument time using the Facility Online Manager scheduling software. Research and educational use receive priority scheduling.
Users who need to cancel scheduled instrument time are generally expected to do so 24 hours in advance.
All experiments must be approved by MASC Lab staff in advance to ensure the instruments will not be damaged.
Users who violate facility rules or have excessive cancellations may have their user privileges restricted, suspended, or revoked.
FOM Booking: https://www.instrumentschedule.com/fom/welcome?lid=0233
MASC Lab User Rates, 2024
For new users: Under some circumstances we may be willing/able to analyze a demo sample at reduced or no cost. Collaborators on the NSF proposals that supported the instruments will always be allowed to complete their proposed research independant of available funding.
2024 Hourly User Fees: JEOL IT200 (billed in 15 min. increments, minimum 1 hr.)
Consortium Members: $20
External Academic Users: $40
Commercial Use: $60
Staff Time: $45
Sample Prep: at cost
2024 Hourly User Fees: Bruker M4 Tornado Plus µXRF (billed in 15 min. increments, minimum 1 hr.)
Consortium Members: $10
External Academic Users: $20
Commercial Use: $40
Helium Purge: $5 (subject to He availability, price may change)
Staff Time: $45
Sample Prep: at cost
Other Instruments
https://sites.google.com/lssu.edu/cannabiscenter/home
https://sites.google.com/lssu.edu/embl/home
https://www.lssu.edu/college-science-environment/chemistry/chemistry-research/instrumentation/
For use of the instruments in the Cannabis Center of Excellence (Mass Spectrometry Core), the Superior Analytics Lab (automated colorimetric analysis/nutrients/water quality) or the Environmental Molecular Biology Lab (qPCR, ddPCR), contact Ben Southwell: bsouthwell@lssu.edu. For next gen sequencing, contact Stephen Kolomyjec: skolomyjec@lssu.edu. For use of the Bruker 400mhz NMR contact R. Adam Mosey: rmosey@lssu.edu. For use of other instruments/microscopes contact the listed faculty directly or inquire with Dr. Wright for assistance.
Use Acknowledgement
The SEM and µXRF instruments were funded by awards from the National Science Foundation. Thus we need to report on their use and acknowledge their support. All MASC lab users who present or publish results from the MASC Lab must provide acknowledgement as follows:
Presentations - Conference presentations, conference posters, public lectures, etc. may utilize the MASC Lab logo or may provide a text based acknowledgment. As per NSF Policy, the NSF Logo may also be used to acknowledge NSF support if desired.
Publications - Please use the following text (or equivalent) in the acknowledgments section of all publications:
SEM/SEM-EDS imaging/analysis was performed at the Micro Analysis and Spectroscopic Characterization (MASC) Lab at Lake Superior State University. The JEOL JSM IT200LA SEM was acquired with funding from the National Science Foundation, NSF MRI Award #2215270.
µXRF analysis was performed at the Micro Analysis and Spectroscopic Characterization (MASC) Lab at Lake Superior State University. The Bruker M4 Tornado Plus µXRF was acquired with funding from the National Science Foundation, NSF MRI Award #2320397.
Reporting: Additionally, all public dissemination of data (publications and presentations) must be reported to Dr. Wright and the appropriate grant PI (SEM Dr. Kolomyjec, µXRF Dr. Zierden) so that we can report grant activity to NSF and track utilization internally. This reporting helps us justify capital and operating expenses, and will be critical to future instrumentation proposals.