Electron Microprobe Laboratory (EMP)

If you need compositional information on nearly any kind of solid on an incredibly small scale, EMP is the place for you. There’s just one instrument here, but it’s a real workhorse—as is the skilled staff that oversees it.


When you can analyze materials down to one-millionth of a meter, you can unearth some mysterious details. For EMP, it means being able to study the paint and materials in ancient pottery shards to figure out where in the world they came from.


Volcanoes remain one of Mother Nature’s mysterious and daunting forces. Using the electron microprobe at EMP, researchers are gaining new insights into the exact composition of volcanic materials and where they come from.


Keeping inkjet printers running smoothly can be a tricky task—one that often requires a bit of sleuthing when foreign contaminants cause parts to fail. Manufacturers rely on EMP researchers to track down the offenders.