Acquisition of Instruments and Information Infrastructure for the IES Analytical Laboratory

生态系统研究所（IES）在Kathleen C博士的指导下获得了一笔赠款。Weathers，用于升级生态系统研究所分析实验室（AL）的分析仪器和信息基础设施。这些资金将通过更换三种大量使用和过时的仪器，大大提高IES AL的分析能力。 将增加两台新设备，从而加强IES的分析能力。 旧仪器不再得到其制造商的充分支持。这些将被取代的包括离子色谱仪，连续流动分析仪和总有机-无机碳分析仪。 新设备包括自动滴定仪和微波消解器。 信息基础设施的改进包括软件数据管理系统和支持硬件。 所有这些升级和仪器对于为IES的核心生态研究项目生成高质量数据至关重要，所有这些都被学生使用。 IES的核心研究项目解决生态系统科学中的基本问题，例如：入侵物种如何影响水生和陆地生态系统中的生物地球化学循环和循环，水生生态系统中古代碳的命运是什么，人类加速环境变化如何影响氮循环，营养循环的非生物和生物驱动因素是什么？ 两个长期的生态研究计划也依赖于这些设施进行化学分析（巴尔的摩和哈伯德布鲁克）。该奖项为IES AL提供了宝贵的支持，IES AL是一种共享资源：平均80%的科研人员和大量研究生，博士后，本科研究生，合作者和访客使用其设施分析生态样品，从降水和穿透水到土壤和盐水沃茨。 AL是IES大部分研究活动的纽带。 稳定的需求给该设施带来了压力，要求其准确、快速和尽可能廉价地处理来自各种生态系统的样品，这些生态系统的化学浓度相差几个数量级。 IES AL目前每年对主要无机和有机离子进行约50，000次分析，包括21个（目前资助的）国家科学基金会（NSF）赞助项目中的许多项目的样品分析。 这些项目包括来自IES的PI，以及学生和合作者。 此外，IES AL还作为其他联邦、州和地方机构资助项目的主要分析设施。 虽然IES不是一个授予学位的机构，但广泛的博士后，研究生，本科生（通过NSF本科生研究经验补助金）学生研究也在IES AL中完成。 根据这项赠款要求的仪器和信息基础设施升级将为生态研究的这一关键社区资源提供必要的更换和最先进的新技术。

A grant has been awarded to the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) under the direction of Dr. Kathleen C. Weathers for upgrading analytical instrumentation and information infrastructure in the Institute of Ecosystem Studies' (IES) Analytical Laboratory (AL). These funds will improve significantly the analytical capabilities in the IES AL by replacing three instruments that are used heavily and outdated. Two new pieces of equipment will be added thereby enhancing IES's analytical capability. The old instruments are no longer supported sufficiently by their manufacturers. Those to be replaced include an ion chromatograph, a continuous flow analyzer, and total organic-inorganic carbon analyzer. The new equipment includes an automatic titrator and microwave digester. Information infrastructure improvements include a software data management system (SDMS) and supporting hardware. All of these upgrades and instruments are critical for generating high-quality data for core ecological research programs at IES, and all are used by students. The core research programs at IES address fundamental questions in ecosystem science, such as: how do invasive species affect biogeochemical cycles and cycling in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, what is the fate of ancient carbon in aquatic ecosystems, how is nitrogen cycling impacted by human accelerated environmental change, what are the abiotic and biotic drivers of nutrient cycling? Two long-term ecological research programs rely on these facilities for chemical analyses as well (Baltimore and Hubbard Brook). This award provides valuable support to the IES AL, which is a shared resource: on average 80% of our scientific staff and a large number of graduate students, postdoctoral associates, undergraduate research students, collaborators and visitors use its facilities for analysis of ecological samples, ranging from precipitation and throughfall to soils and saline waters. The AL is the nexus for much of the research activity at IES. Steady demand has put pressure on the facility to process accurately, rapidly and as inexpensively as possible samples from a wide variety of ecosystems whose chemical concentrations vary by several orders-of-magnitude. The IES AL currently performs approximately 50,000 analyses a year for major inorganic and organic ions, including sample analysis for many of the 21 (currently funded) National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored projects. These projects include PIs from IES, as well as students and collaborators outside. In addition, the IES AL serves as the primary analytical facility for projects funded by other Federal, State and local agencies. Although IES is not a degree-granting institution, extensive postdoctoral, graduate, undergraduate (through an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant) student research is also done in the IES AL. The instrument and information infrastructure upgrades requested under this grant will provide both necessary replacements and state-of-the-art new technology for this crucial community resource for ecology research.