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Microscope donation benefits GU sciences

Published: April 20, 2021

Microscope donation benefits GU sciences

GU Professor Eugene Dunkley demonstrating the new microscope in Snyder Hall.

Photo by student photographer Emily Reinneck.

A recent donation to the sciences at GU has students oohing and ahhing and eager to take on more projects for class.

Biology Professor Eugene Dunkley dreamed of acquiring the All in One Fluorescent Microscope BZ-X 800, as he could clearly see its benefit for GU students. Generous donor Dr. Lew Whaley 76 heard about the need and stepped up to fund the microscope, which was installed last week.

Dunkley shares that students couldnt contain their "oohs" and "ahs" when they saw what the microscope could do.

It was like being at a firework show, Ive never heard students do that they were just so excited, Dunkley says.

Microscope donation benefits GU sciences

A detailed image of cultured cheek cells displays on a computer screen connected to the BZ-X 800 Microscope.

Professors and students in the department are grateful to Dr. Whaley for the donation, as it not only allows for greater and more detailed research and study, but it also allows students to take high quality photos of cells. Dunkley says research his students are now able to do with this new microscope includes growing cells with or without different chemicals, testing the effects of caffeine or alcohol on different cells, studying live tissue and so much more.

Before we had to do everything manually, we can do this within seconds," Dunkley says. "We'll also be able to add fluorescent dyes, we can focus in on just a part of the cell - just the mitochondria, just the nucleus, just the proteins within the cell. We can count cells, tag cells. It revolutionizes this class and other classes. Just amazing."

Microscope donation benefits GU sciences

A look inside the BZ-X Microscope

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