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Matter Labs

Matter Labs encompasses three lab spaces at Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus: The Biomaterials Characterization Laboratory, Materials Characterization Laboratory, and the Nanoscale and Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory.

They each provide tools, training, and expertise to meet the community's transdisciplinary materials characterization needs. 

Biomaterials Characterization Laboratory
Fluorescent image of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells showing mitochondria (red), F-actin (green), and nuclei (blue), highlighting the cellular structure
Fluorescent image of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells showing mitochondria (red), F-actin (green), and nuclei (blue), highlighting the cellular structure. Photo captured by Sharad Jaswandkar at the BioMaterials Characterization Lab.

A shared user facility for biomaterials. Free to Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students.

Materials Characterization Laboratory
atomic force microscopy analysis of silicon surface with ~100 nm Pit depths.
Atomic force microscopy analysis of silicon surface with ~100 nm pit depths. Photo captured by Patrick Finley at the Materials Characterization Lab.

A shared user facility for diverse materials. Free to Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students.

Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory
High-resolution STEM image of gold nanoparticles, clearly displaying lattice fringes, enabling precise size and structural analysis at nanoscale
High-resolution STEM image of gold nanoparticles, clearly displaying lattice fringes, enabling precise size and structural analysis at the nanoscale. Photo captured by Hongyu Wang at the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory.

A fee-for-service facility that houses the university's most advanced tools for working at the nanoscale.