MRI: Acquisition of GC-MS to Support Basic and Applied Research and to Integrate Research and Education at Saint Cloud State University

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Latha Ramakrishnan from St. Cloud State University and colleagues Michael Jeannot, Mohammad Mahroof-Tahir, Lakshmaiah Sreerama and Mark Mechelke will acquire a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) understanding the evolution and function of GABAergic neurotransmission in planaria; (b) determination of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in the wastewater treatment;(c) verification of a kinetic model for headspace single-drop microextraction; (d) development of bioprocess technologies to produce ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass; and (e) design and synthesis of goniothalamin analogues to explore the natural product mechanism of action.A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer vaporizes and separates a multi component mixture which then passes into the mass spectrometer where the components are ionized. The mass spectrometer determines the mass/charge ratio of these particles (parent molecular ion and fragment ions). This highly sensitive technique allows determination of the masses of the particles, their chemical composition and enables one to deduce the structure of the substances in a complex mixture. The instrumentation provided by this award will provide faculty and students the opportunity to pursue research projects at St. Cloud University. It will advance the training of many students in the use of this important and widely used analytical technique.