Early Career: Acquisition of an Accelerated Solvent Extractor and a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer for Lipid Analyses in Organic Geochemistry Research

早期职业生涯：在有机地球化学研究中获得一台加速溶剂萃取器和一台用于脂肪分析的气相色谱-质谱仪该奖项提供资金，用于在阿拉巴马大学(UA)购买一台加速溶剂萃取器(ASE)和一台气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)。这两种仪器对于可靠的脂肪分析是必不可少的，这是PI用来了解水环境中有机物循环的核心研究工具。类脂是指示当代和古生态系统中有机质的来源、质量和保存的重要示踪剂。过去和正在进行的研究项目的应用实例包括：在伊利湖文化富营养化的发展和修复期间重建伊利湖的环境变化；了解分水岭人类发展对水环境中有机物质循环的影响；开发耐硫化物微生物的生物标记物，这些微生物在过去的厌氧期生活在海洋中。该仪器为加州大学地球科学研究和教育提供最先进的技术支持。它使早期职业生涯中的有机地球化学家能够制定独立的研究计划，建立跨学科和跨机构的合作，并吸引高质量的研究生。这些仪器进一步增强了加州大学一个研究联盟的研究能力，该联盟调查过去的气候和环境变化，该联盟由一群不同和有才华的教职员工和学生组成。这一增强的基础设施使研究、教学和学生培训更有效地结合在一起。地质和环境科学方面的各种课程将受益于实践活动，例如分析环境污染物或识别表明过去生物体活动的化合物。目前，有12名学生(5名本科生和7名毕业生)正在进行需要使用所要求的仪器的研究项目。最重要的是，新仪器支持的研究课题具有重要的社会价值，包括了解有机污染物的分布和新陈代谢，以及阐明影响气候变化的因素。

Early Career: Acquisition of an Accelerated Solvent Extractor and a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer for Lipid Analyses in Organic Geochemistry ResearchThis award provides funding to acquire an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE) and a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) at University of Alabama (UA). These two instruments are essential for reliable lipid analysis, which is the core research tool utilized by the PI to understand organic matter cycling in aquatic environments. Lipids are important tracers indicating sources, quality and preservation of organic matter in contemporary and paleo-ecosystems. Examples of application from the PI's past and on-going research projects include: reconstructing environmental changes in the Lake Erie during the development and remediation of its cultural eutrophication; understanding the effects of human development in watershed on organic matter cycling within aquatic environments; and developing biomarkers for sulfide-tolerate microbes that inhabited oceans during past periods of anaerobicity. The instrumentation provides state-of-the-art technological support for research and education in Earth Sciences at UA. It enables the PI, an early career organic geochemist, to develop an independent research program, establish cross-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration and attract quality graduate students. The instruments further enhance the research capacity of a research consortium at UA investigating past climatic and environmental changes, which comprises a group of diverse and talented faculty members and students. This enhanced infrastructure allows more effective integration of research, teaching and student training. A variety of courses in geological and environmental sciences will benefit from hands-on activities, such as analyzing environmental pollutants or identifying compounds indicating activities of past organisms. Currently, 12 students (5 undergraduates and 7 graduates) are conducting research projects requiring the use of the requested instruments. Most importantly, the research topics supported by the new instrumentation have important society values, including understanding distribution and metabolism of organic pollutants, and elucidating factors governing climate changes.