Instruments
In 2008 the NSF MRI program awarded ASIF at UAF a grant to establish an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to dedicate to compound specific stable isotope analyses adn methane analyses. Co-Is on the grant application ranged from many departments on the UAF campus as well as external collaborators:
- Matthew Wooller (WERC/INE & SFOS)
- Katey Walter Anthony (WERC/INE)
- Diane O’Brien (IAB)
- Katrin Iken (SFOS)
- Rolf Gradinger (SFOS)
- Sue Budge (Dalhousie University
- Bodil Bluhm (SFOS)
- Alan Springer
- Maribeth Murray (Anthropology)
- Sartorius M2P electronic microbalance (x3)
- Cahn model 4700 and model 26 automatic electrobalances
- VirTis BT 6K ES and BT 3.3 ES benchtop freeze dryers
- Large and small Wig-L-Bug equipment for pulverizing dried samples
The instrumentation, among other things, is dedicated to analyizing the stable isotope composition of plant lipids, fatty acids and amino acids as well as analyses of methane. The instrumentation has the capability to analyze the carbon as well as hydrogen isotope composition of compounds. The final stages of installation took lpace in July 2009.
Finnigan Delta V plus
The ThermoElectron Delta V Plus’ capabilities are essentially the same as the DeltaplusXP, but contained in a smaller package and is designed in a more user-friendly manner. The Delta V Plus, installed in 2005, is interfaced with two different elemental analyzers, a ThermoElectron high temperature conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) and a Carlo Erba elemental analyzer (EA). The EA is used for carbon adn nitrogen analysis of solids and liquids (e.g. soil, sediment, protein material and water) for oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes. One major advantage of the TC/EA system is that in dual element mode hydrogen adn oxygen isotope data can be acquired very rapidly (<6 min/sample). Both units are interfaced to teh mass spectrometer through the Conflo III system.
Credit: Erica Franich
Delta V Plus masprotrometer. This machine is used in combination with the Costech Elemental Analyzer (EA) for nitrogen and carbon isotope measurements.
Finnigan DeltaPlusXP
The ThermoElectron DeltaPlusXP was installed in 2003. The most noticeable improvement from previous generations of mass spectrometers is that it is now a digital system with fiber optic communication between data acquisition and instrumetnation. These changes to the electronics allowed for an almost five-fold increase in the linear range. The mass spectrometer is also now completely driven by software. No more turning knobs! When interfaced with the Conflo III system, 1000:1 ratios of carbon to nitrogen are now possible. The “XP” is interfaced with a Costech ECS4010 elemental analyzer (EA) and a ThermoElectron GasBench II carbonate analyzer. The EA is used for carbon nitrogen analysis of solid samples, where as the GasBench is used in the analysis of oxygen and carbon stable isotopes of liquid and solids.
Other Equipment
Samples can be prepared in our lab sing the following:
Credit: Erica Franich
Graduate student Ben Gaglioti weighs out samples on the microbalance in an ASIF lab in the College of Engineering and Mines at UAF.
Credit: Erica Franich
ASIF Research Professional Tim Howe loads carbonate samples on the gas bench for analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes in the ASIF lab.
Credit: Erica Franich
GC-Isolink . This machine is used for compound-specific isotope measurements for carbon and hydrogen.
Credit: Erica Franich
Costech ECS4010 thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA). This machine is used for the paralysis of water and organic samples for the analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. It can be interfaced with the Finnigan Delta plus XP and ThermoElectron GasBench II carbonate analyzer, which is used in the analysis of oxygen and carbon stable isotopes of liquid and solids.
