Acquisition of an Automated Nitrogen and Carbon Isotope Analysis Mass Spectrometer for a Shared-Use Instrumentation Laboratory

这项提议是为了购置一个自动化质谱仪系统，该系统可以以中等精度进行高通量(每天约100个样品)的氮和碳同位素分析。该系统实现了样品制备和分析的自动化。该仪器将设在一个共用设施实验室(海洋科学研究所分析实验室)，该实验室有一名全职的专业监督员。该实验室将在充值的基础上维护和操作仪器，包括操作员，研究项目的成本较低。来自该设备的分析将提供给其他机构的研究人员以及UCSB，就像目前该设施中的CHN元素分析仪一样。由于该仪器能够以低成本进行大量分析，因此可以在各种生物系统中使用稳定的氮和碳同位素进行示踪剂研究，在这些生物系统中，此类研究要么以前从未进行过，要么由于分析费用高、无法获得此类分析的设施或需要广泛的样品制备而受到阻碍。最初的应用将是调查共生体对氮的吸收和利用的途径，以及研究海洋和淡水系统中的氮输入和通量。

This proposal is for acquisition of an automated mass spectrometer system which can carry out nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses with a high throughput (about 100 samples per day) at moderate precision. Both sample preparation and analyses are automated in this system. This instrument will be located in a shared-use facility laboratory (Marine Science Institute Analytical Laboratory) which has a full-time professional supervisor. This laboratory will maintain and operate the instrument on a recharge basis, including operator, at low cost to the research projects. Analyses from this equipment would be available to researchers at other institutions as well as UCSB, as is currently the case with the CHN elemental analyzer in this facility. The ability off this instrument to make large numbers of analyses at low cost opens up the use of stable N and C isotopes for tracer studies in a variety of biological systems where such studies have either not been pursued previously or have been hampered by the high cost of analyses, lack of access to facilities for such analyses, or the need for extensive sample preparation. The initial applications will be to investigate the pathways of nitrogen uptake and utilization in symbionts, and to study N inputs and fluxes in marine and freshwater systems.