Expanding the Role of Carbon Isotopes in Marine and Organic Geochemical Research

沉积环境中碳流的路径可以是 使用生物标志物身份和分布鉴定， 结合特定化合物的同位素分析。 的因素 影响单个化合物的同位素组成的因素可能是 根据影响本体有机物的已知过程来解释 所谓了 然而，这种方法是有限的，缺乏 在现代环境中的单个化合物的数据。 这项工作 旨在描述地球化学的同位素后果， 在分子水平上的过程，特别是对于那些过程 与有机物的产生和降解有关， 水柱。 最终的目标是扩大碳同位素在 海洋和有机地球化学研究。 三个努力 提出了这一目标。 1)一是建立设施 在宾夕法尼亚州进行有机化合物的同位素分析 州立大学。 2)该设施将用于继续 研究始于私家侦探时期具体来说， 来描述控制同位素组成的过程 和单个化合物的分布。 3)PSU的设施 将用于促进研讨会和实验室间的比较， irm-GCMS操作和性能。 此外，它将使 进一步的分析发展，如果urn-GCMS和相关方法。

Pathways of carbon-flow in depositional environments can be identified using biomarker identities and distributions in conjunction with compound-specific isotope analyses. The factors influencing the isotopic composition of individual compounds can be interpreted in terms of known processes affecting bulk organic matter. However, this approach is limited and there is a lack of data for individual compounds in modern environments. This work aims to characterize isotopic consequences of biogeochemical processes at the molecular level, specifically for those processes associated with the production and degradation of organic matter in the water column. The ultimate goal is to expand the role of carbon isotopes in marine and organic geochemical research. Three efforts towards this goal are proposed. 1) The first is to establish a facility for the isotopic analyses of organic compounds at Pennsylvania State University. 2) This facility will be used to continue research started during the P.I.'s graduate studies, specifically, to characterize processes that control the isotopic compositions and distributions of individual compounds. 3) The facility at PSU will be used to foster workshops and iterlaboratory comparisons of irm-GCMS operations and performance. In addition, it will enable further analytical developments if urn-GCMS and related methods.