Breaking Boundaries in Collaborative Research: The history of ASL
At Northwestern Chemistry, an innovative and unprecedented step was taken when the Analytical Services Laboratory (ASL) was established. This later shifted into the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC), a cornerstone of research collaboration. In 1968, Department Chair Donald D. DeFord hired Claude Lucchesi to create one of the first laboratories in the United States to centralize analytical instruments. Thanks to Lucchesi’s persistence and determination, the lab facilitated broad Department usage of high-end instruments normally unavailable to individual labs. The equipment was complemented by detailed training to ensure that high standards of data collection were maintained.
Completed in 1970, ASL spanned 7,000 square feet and included contemporary equipment with an advanced practice teaching laboratory. This trailblazing research space provided students and faculty members access to state-of-the-art resources under the guidance of experts who specialized in the operation of equipment.
Through the 1970s, Lucchesi persistently pursued funding to expand capabilities in ASL. This investment in advanced equipment and the highly trained professionals who were focused on maintaining and training people in the usage of this equipment are key parts of ASL’s success. This innovative lab was renowned as both a space for academic excellence and for its cutting-edge equipment and expert staff by the end of the decade.
When Lucchesi retired in the early 1990s and Teaching Faculty Fred Northrup assumed the role of ASL Manager. Northrup continued the legacy of prioritizing student experience paired with continued technological advancement. During these years, the persistent dedication to ASL’s abilities has not only supplied incomparable resources and assistance to our students and researchers but also attracted exceptional faculty members and scholars who have left a lasting legacy in the Department’s history.
The ASL location within the Technological Institute has provided researchers from diverse STEM disciplines a place to collaborate, enabling a wide range of scientists to benefit from Lucchesi’s vision of an analytical chemistry infrastructure. ASL’s early vision of contemporary developments in chemical technology can easily be connected to research breakthroughs in advanced composites, new drug delivery systems, and superior batteries.
The Department envisioned an expansion in 2005, and it was clear ASL needed more than equipment upgrades. A new location was created to facilitate the desired growth. To represent the Department’s investment in expanded capabilities and the study of integrated molecular structures, ASL was rebranded as IMSERC in 2008. With unprecedented access to the latest technology and cutting-edge equipment, IMSERC remains one of the leading providers of analytical instrumentation and services for researchers at Northwestern and beyond.
Visit the IMSERC website for more information on how to access these top-of-the-line facilities.