MRI: Acquisition of a Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer for Analyzing Specific Organic Compounds to Promote a Vigorous Isotopic Research and Teaching Program

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This National Science Foundation award covers the acquisition costs of a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) system that will be used for analyses of specific compounds (e.g. amino acids, fatty acids, plant lipids and methane) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). IRMS are used to analyze the stable isotope ratios of a wide array of materials to investigate a broad suite of research topics, including animal migration, elemental cycling, environmental change and animal and plant physiology and biochemistry. Some federally supported projects that will directly benefit from this instrumentation include using compound specific isotope analyses to track the flow of carbon through Arctic and Antarctic habitats, for analyzing compounds preserved in the fossil record to reconstruct past environmental conditions and for identifying methane sources in the Arctic, which could serve as a future alternative energy source. Faculty and students from a broad range of departments and institutes will use the new instrumentation. There are few other laboratories in the U.S. that offer these types of analytical services. Graduate and undergraduate educational activities will be improved by allowing students to explore advanced technologies through the numerous classes and seminars currently offered at UAF involving stable isotopic techniques.