MRI: Acquisition of an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer for Compound-Specific Applications in Biogeochemistry and Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz

稳定同位素分析现在是各种研究中最重要的工具之一，其关键应用横跨海洋学、生物地球化学循环研究、生态学和食物网、古生态学、考古学和古气候学。所有这些领域的工作越来越需要在各种各样的样品类型中对一系列元素(碳、氢、氧、氮、硫)的同位素比率进行灵敏的分析，最具创新性的项目越来越需要新的前沿方法，例如对单个有机化合物进行同位素分析(CSIA)。授予加州大学圣克鲁斯分校(UCSC)的这项合同涉及购买一台同位素比率监测质谱仪(IRMS)，为多个学科的研究人员和学生提供服务。此次收购将产生更广泛的影响。首先，该仪器将显著扩展加州大学伯克利分校的基础研究基础设施，支持在沿海科学和环境可持续发展研究方面卓越的核心校园优先领域。它有力地加强了加州大学伯克利分校的核心教育和教学使命，允许研究生和博士后接受尖端仪器方面的培训，同时支持范围更广的项目。该仪器将支持本科生的研究，通过高级论文和直接参与研究实验室，以及将实践项目纳入更高水平的课程。该项目团队还将与UCSC的学生成功部门合作，为夏季推广计划开发一项新倡议。UCSC将获得一台Thermo Science 253同位素比质谱仪(IRMS)，该仪器有两个前端外围设备，配置用于CSIA的尖端能力，包括对未知化合物进行同位素测量的能力，以及增加硫同位素能力。这种高灵敏度的IRMS将有两个主要的样品输入外围设备：(1)一个连接到TSQ Duo三重四极杆质谱仪的GC-Trace Ultra-GC，并配备一个可编程的Tri-Plus RSH自动进样器，可以自动衍生/标准加入；(2)一个IsoLink CNOHS元素分析仪(EA)，具有新的统一燃烧/裂解设计，将带来所需的硫同位素能力。此配置中的每个组件都是为满足关键需求而选择的。10KV 253IRMS将提供高灵敏度，允许一系列新的纳米级化合物专用应用，特别是对单个化合物N的测量至关重要。定制的Tri-Plus RHS自动取样器可以制作和注射衍生品，并自动添加内部标准。这将提供高样本吞吐量。TSQ Duo Triple四极杆质谱仪代表了一种全新的尖端能力，使研究人员能够在测量未知结构的碳和氮同位素比率时同时识别未知结构。最后，EA IsoLink(CNSOH)接口将首次为加州大学洛杉矶分校带来测量S同位素的能力，允许在单个样品上同时测量13C、15N和34S值，即使在极高的C/S比(例如木材样品)下也是如此。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stable isotope analysis is now one of the most important tools in a remarkable variety of research, with key applications spanning oceanography, biogeochemical cycle research, ecology and food webs, paleoecology, archaeology, and paleoclimatogy. Work in all these areas increasingly requires sensitive analysis of the isotope ratios of a range of elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur), in a wide variety of sample types, and the most innovative projects increasingly require new, leading-edge approaches, such as isotopic analysis of individual organic compounds (CSIA). This award to the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) involves the acquisition of an isotope-ratio-monitoring mass spectrometer (IRMS) to serve investigators and students across multiple disciplines. This acquisition will have wide broader impacts. First, the instrumentation will significantly expand UCSC's basic research infrastructure, supporting core campus priority areas for excellence in coastal sciences and environmental sustainability research. It strongly enhances UCSC's core education and teaching mission, allowing graduate and post-doc training on cutting-edge instrumentation while supporting a far greater range of projects. The instrumentation will support undergraduate research, via senior theses and direct involvement in research labs, as well as the incorporation of hands-on projects into higher level courses. The project team will also develop a new initiative for a summer outreach program, in collaboration with UCSC's division of student success.UCSC will acquire a Thermo Scientific 253+ isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS), with two front-end peripherals configured for cutting-edge CSIA capabilities, including the ability to make isotopic measurements on unknown compounds, and the addition of sulfur isotope capability. This high-sensitivity IRMS will have two main sample input peripherals: (1) a GC-Trace Ultra-GC coupled to a TSQ Duo Triple Quadrapole Mass Spectrometer, and configured with a programmable Tri-Plus RSH auto-sampler capable of automated derivatization/standard additions; and (2) an IsoLink CNOHS Elemental Analyzer (EA) with a new unified combustion/pyrolysis design that will bring needed sulfur isotope capability. Each component in this configuration was chosen to fulfill a critical need. The 10 KV 253 IRMS will provide high sensitivity, allowing a range of new, nano-scale compound-specific applications, particularly critical for individual-compound N measurements. The customized Tri-Plus RHS auto-sampler can both make and inject derivatives with automated addition of internal standards. This will provide high sample throughput. The TSQ Duo Triple Quadrapole Mass Spectrometer represents a completely novel, cutting-edge capability, allowing researchers to simultaneously identify unknown structures as they measure their C and N isotope ratios. Finally, the EA IsoLink (CNSOH) interface will bring the ability to measure S isotopes to UCSC for the first time, allowing 13C, 15N, and 34S values to be measured simultaneously on a single sample, even at extremely high C/S ratios (e.g., wood samples).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.