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

这项美国国家科学基金会奖涵盖了阿拉斯加大学费尔班克斯（UAF）用于分析特定化合物（如氨基酸、脂肪酸、植物脂质和甲烷）的稳定同位素比质谱仪（IRMS）系统的购置成本。IRMS用于分析各种材料的稳定同位素比率，以研究一系列广泛的研究课题，包括动物迁移，元素循环，环境变化以及动植物生理学和生物化学。一些联邦政府支持的项目将直接受益于这种仪器，包括使用化合物特定同位素分析来跟踪碳在北极和南极栖息地的流动，分析化石记录中保存的化合物以重建过去的环境条件，并确定北极的甲烷来源，这可能成为未来的替代能源。 教师和学生从广泛的部门和研究所将使用新的仪器。美国很少有其他实验室提供这些类型的分析服务。研究生和本科生的教育活动将得到改善，允许学生通过目前在UAF提供的涉及稳定同位素技术的众多课程和研讨会探索先进技术。

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.