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FAYETTEVILLE-- The electron microprobe is one of the most advanced microscopes in the world and there are only three in the world. One of them is in Fayetteville.

The microprobe in Fayetteville, which is part of the Southeastern North Carolina Regional Microanalytical and Imaging Center, is one of the two microprobes open to the public. The center is a joint venture between Fayetteville State University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

It's easy to get excited when working with one of the most advanced microscopes in the world.

"Students at all levels get so excited, and even those of us who played on machines like this many times in the past,” said Dr. Lee Phillips from U.N.C.P. “This is state-of-the-art."

What makes this electron microprobe so powerful is the emitter. It sends out an electron stream, a series of magnets then focuses that stream down to a stream that is only 40 nanometers across. It can provide a 300,000 times magnification with a resolution of 30 atoms across.

The microprobe can also tell scientists the chemical makeup of the test subject. Potential applications for the $1.25 million instrument range from chemistry to archeology and forensics.

Heather Hanna works for the North Carolina Geological Survey and was asked to analyze evidence from a murder case. "We can compare the chemical composition of the grains of mica from the clothing and the shoes and the composition of mica at the crime scene and show that they were consistent with each other," said Hanna.

The director of the imaging center, Dr. Steven Singletary, said not only is the microprobe helping local businesses by providing access to advanced technology, it also provides a skilled workforce capable of operating the latest in technology. "If we have students that are trained on this, if they can operate this microprobe, there is not much left on the planet that is going to be beyond them in terms of technology," said Singletary.

The microprobe is already proving its worth in the few months it's been operational. "This microprobe has shocked us all. as we began to do analysis, we are seeing things we have never seen before in the same rocks," said Phillips.