Yale participated in a national exhibition on Capitol Hill illustrating why university-based research is vital to the nation's defense. The exhibition took place on April 29 in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. Among the featured speakers were Rear Admiral Paul Gaffney, chief of Naval Research, and members of Congress.
Yale demonstrated a specialized optical imaging microscope important in advanced telecommunications and computer-chip production. The microscope also enables scientists to undertake genetic studies with fluorescently labeled DNA.
Titled "Basic Research in the National Defense: University Contributions to De-fense Technology," the event featured researchers and students from 33 U.S. universities and highlighted the long-standing partnership between the federal government and higher education to produce key defense technologies. The event was sponsored by the Association of American Universities in cooperation with members of Congress.
Yale's specialized microscopy is conducted in the laboratory of Robert D. Grober, assistant professor of applied physics and physics. The technique, called scanned probe microscopy, involves scanning a very small probe in close proximity to a sample, such as genetic material. "Our laboratory combines the techniques of near-field optics for structural analysis with spectroscopic imaging for chemical analysis," says Grober, whose work is supported by the Army Research Office. "The combination of both spatial and spectral information yields a powerful diagnostic tool. In addition to biological studies, our imaging research focuses on semiconductors for advanced telecommunications and the processing of silicon computer chips."
The U.S. Department of Defense funds about $1 billion in basic research each year.
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