Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer for Analysis of Microbial Biogeochemistry in Environmental Samples

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

A gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC MS) with high efficiency source (HES) is requested to support novel research in environmental science. In the field of environmental geochemistry, research undertaken with this instrument will elucidate the sources, transport and degradation of organic contaminants. The new insights generated during this research will contribute to the protection of water and air quality in Canada and around the world and therefore to the protection of human and ecosystem health. Within the fields of organic geochemistry/astrobiology the research that will be supported focuses on fundamental questions concerning the capabilities and limits of life, particularly microbial life, and the biosignatures that such life leaves behind. The novel outcomes of this research provide greater insight into the functioning of microbial life on Earth, the biosignatures of microbial life present in the geologic record, and define the biosignatures that may be used as a basis for searching for life beyond the Earth. The GC MS requested is a highly versatile instrument that can identify and quantify a wide range of organic compounds. The requested system is designed for the highest possible sensitivity which enables environmental research with the greatest spatial or temporal resolution. Such resolution is a key factor when studying microbial processes that occur over scales of millimeters or less and for studying microbial life at its limits where microbial abundances and associated biosignatures may be present at very low abundances. Despite these small spatial scales and potentially low abundances of biomarkers in modern and geologic settings, microbial processes mediate nearly every cycle of nutrients, contaminants and energy on Earth. Understanding them is therefore critical to understanding life on Earth and our impact on it, and to searching for evidence of life beyond the Earth. In addition to facilitating research, the GC MS is a widely used tool in environmental research and analysis. The requested instrument will enable training of the next generation of environmental scientists in the skills required to analyze organic compounds at the molecular level, and how to develop new methods for these types of analyses such that they are prepared to respond when new compounds of interest are discovered in the future.