Equipment for Chemical Analysis to Serve Interdisciplinary Research

服务于跨学科研究的化学分析设备

• 批准号: 9512370
• 负责人: Dulasiri Amarasiriwardena
• 金额: $ 41.28万
• 依托单位: Hampshire College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-08-15 至 1999-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9512370&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Equipment; Chemical; Analysis; Serve; Interdisciplinary

An interdisciplinary group of chemistry, biology and geology faculty at Hampshire College will use recent advances in analytical and separation chemistry to study a varied yet unified group of problems, centering on the chemical analysis of natural and anthropogenic materials. Because of its unique interdisciplinary structure and strong history of involving students in research, Hampshire College's School of Natural Science is in a strong position to take advantage of new technologies for interdisciplinary research as well as for research training. For example, in order to track the path of trace elements such as zinc into teeth and understand nutritional stress, a biological anthropologist, geologist and chemist will collaborate in chemical analysis of the degree to which nutrient elements in dietary sources predict the concentrations of these elements in teeth. A chemist, an ecologist and a geologist will follow the different species of aluminum in a local pond. The interdisciplinary focus of research and research training at Hampshire College argue strongly for a widely accessible, flexible chemical analysis laboratory. Funds are requested for purchase and update of the equipment listed below that will enable analysis of heavy metals, light metals, and organic compounds: 1) An Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Along with an existing AA, an ICP-MS will provide increased sensitivity and multi-element capabilities in the quantitative analysis of trace metal concentrations in diverse biological and environmental materials. 2) A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system, to replace an old system, for quantitative analysis of biological and environmental systems for organic compounds and for the separation of biological compounds of interest to physiologists and ecologists. 3) A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR), to replace older units, along with instrumentation already available (NMR, GC-MS) will enable qualitative, and in some cases quantitative, structural information for chemical species isolated by HPLC. 4) A Flow-Injection Analyzer (FIA) will allow on-line analysis of water-soluble compounds such as nutrients, rapidly analyzing for multiple nutrients in numerous samples. 5) A Gas Chromatograph/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (GC/IR-MS) will aid in separation, isolation and identification of organic compounds; the IR capability will enable stable-isotope studies on animals in vivo. 6) Auxiliary equipment for sample preparation and data manipulation include a microwave digester and other sample preparation equipment and computers to control experiments and for data analysis. Chemical analysis is an interdisciplinary meeting ground, central to both faculty and student research in biology and the environment. The following project areas form one coherent focus of research in interdisciplinary chemical applications: 1) development of analytical techniques for characterization of metal species (applied to problems in aqueous environmental problems), 2) remineralization of nutrients from the benthos of Waquoit Bay, a Land Margin Ecosystem Research site, 3) volcanic geochemistry (magma mixing in the origin of granitic rocks), 4) plant-insect chemical ecology (studies of plant chemicals produced as deterrents to insect feeding), 5) analysis of nutrient elements in teeth in relation to known diet and 6) nutritional biochemistry of proteins in ruminants. The new instruments will support faculty and undergraduate research and research training in a variety of settings. Students' research training will be enhanced through use of instrumentation in advanced courses, research-type projects in courses, and senior theses. Increased collaborative faculty research (involving students as well) will improve faculty productivity.

汉普郡学院的化学，生物学和地质学教师的跨学科小组将利用分析和分离化学的最新进展来研究一组不同但统一的问题，集中在自然和人为材料的化学分析上。由于其独特的跨学科结构和学生参与研究的强大历史，汉普郡学院自然科学学院处于有利地位，可以利用新技术进行跨学科研究和研究培训。 例如，为了跟踪微量元素（如锌）进入牙齿的路径并了解营养压力，生物人类学家，地质学家和化学家将合作进行化学分析，以确定饮食来源中的营养元素预测牙齿中这些元素的浓度。一位化学家、一位生态学家和一位地质学家将在当地的一个池塘里追踪不同种类的铝。汉普郡学院的研究和研究培训的跨学科重点强烈主张建立一个广泛，灵活的化学分析实验室。 要求提供资金，用于购买和更新下列设备，以便能够分析重金属、轻金属和有机化合物： 1)电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（ICP-MS）。 沿着现有的加速器，电感耦合等离子体质谱仪将提供更高的灵敏度和多元素能力，用于定量分析各种生物和环境材料中的痕量金属浓度。 2)高效液相色谱（HPLC）系统，以取代旧系统，用于有机化合物的生物和环境系统的定量分析以及生理学家和生态学家感兴趣的生物化合物的分离。 3)傅里叶变换红外分光光度计（FTIR），以取代旧的单位，沿着与仪器已经可用（NMR，GC-MS）将能够定性，并在某些情况下定量，通过HPLC分离的化学物质的结构信息。 4)流动注射分析仪（FIA）将允许在线分析水溶性化合物，如营养物质，快速分析大量样品中的多种营养物质。 5)气相色谱仪/同位素比质谱仪（GC/IR-MS）将有助于分离、隔离和鉴定有机化合物;红外能力将能够在动物体内进行稳定同位素研究。 6)用于样品制备和数据处理的辅助设备包括微波消化器和其他样品制备设备以及用于控制实验和进行数据分析的计算机。 化学分析是一个跨学科的会议场所，中央在生物学和环境的教师和学生的研究。以下项目领域形成了跨学科化学应用研究的一个连贯的重点：1）开发用于表征金属物质的分析技术（应用于水环境问题），2）来自陆地边缘生态系统研究站点瓦阔特湾底栖生物的营养盐的矿化，3）火山地球化学（花岗岩起源的岩浆混合作用），4）植物-昆虫化学生态学（研究植物化学物质对昆虫取食的抑制作用），5）与已知食物有关的牙齿营养元素分析，6）反刍动物蛋白质的营养生物化学。 新仪器将支持教师和本科生的研究和研究培训在各种设置。 学生的研究训练将通过在高级课程中使用仪器，课程中的研究型项目和高级论文得到加强。增加教师的合作研究（包括学生）将提高教师的生产力。