MRI: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Compound-specific Isotope Analysis at the University of Wyoming

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，购买了气相色谱-燃烧-同位素比值质谱仪（GC-C-IRMS）和集成四极杆质谱仪（GC-MS）系统，该系统具有支持HPLC和IRMS （LC-IRMS）在线耦合的接口，可以进行稳定同位素分析（SIA）。散装生物材料的SIA允许在从生化到生物圈的尺度上对过程进行综合研究。该仪器将为怀俄明大学稳定同位素设施（UWSIF）增加CSIA的能力，UWSIF是一个核心的多用户研究和培训设施，目前支持来自8个部门和3个学院的16个研究小组。该仪器将为脂肪酸、脂类、氨基酸和碳水化合物的CSIA能力提供核心用户群，并且足够灵活，可以在不需要衍生化的情况下对极性、非gc挥发性或耐热性化合物进行LC-IRMS。主要用户在生物和地球化学系统相结合的三个领域进行研究：1)有机和生态系统生态学；2)古生态与古环境研究；3)能源研究。新仪器的研究将集中在动物生理学、饮食、食物网、植物和生态系统碳循环、灭绝生物的饮食和环境、重建过去的气候和生态系统反应，以及与能源开采相关的环境污染物的地球化学示踪。每年秋季学期，由Williams （PI）和Sharma （co-PI）教授的研究生课程提供使用NSF资助获得的仪器的实践培训。参加美国国家科学基金会EPSCoR赞助的夏季研究学徒计划（SRAP）和美国国家科学基金会资助的华盛顿大学科学团队计划的高中生已经并将继续在UWSIF进行涉及分析的同位素相关研究。这些教师目前还指导26名研究生（10名女性）和4名博士后（3名女性），并且在他们的同位素研究项目中都包括本科生。研究项目的成果将通过学生和教师在区域或国家会议上的发言以及通过同行评议期刊上的出版物来传播。

Support from the National Science Foundation has allowed the purchase of a GC-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS) and integrated quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-MS) system with an interface supporting on-line coupling of HPLC and IRMS (LC-IRMS) to allow for stable isotope analysis (SIA). The SIA of bulk biological materials allows the integrative study of processes at scales that range from the biochemical to the biospheric. This instrumentation will add capacity for CSIA to the University of Wyoming Stable Isotope Facility (UWSIF), a core, multi-user research and training facility currently supporting 16 research groups from 8 departments and 3 colleges. The instrumentation will provide a core group of users in the capacity for CSIA on fatty acids, lipids, amino acids and carbohydrates, and be flexible enough to allow LC-IRMS on polar, non GC-volatile or thermolabile compounds without the requirement for derivatization. The major users conduct research in three areas that integrate biological and geochemical systems: 1) organismal and ecosystem ecology; 2) paleo-ecology and paleo-environmental studies; and 3) energy research. Studies with the new instruments will focus on animal physiology, diet, food webs, plant and ecosystem carbon cycling, diets and environments of extinct organisms, reconstruction of past climates and ecosystem responses, and geochemical tracing of environmental contaminants associated with energy extraction. A graduate course taught every fall semester by Williams (PI) and Sharma (co-PI) provides hands on training using the instrumentation acquired through NSF funding. High school students in the NSF EPSCoR sponsored Summer Research Apprenticeship Program (SRAP) and the NSF sponsored Science Posse program at UW have and will continue to conduct isotope-related research involving analyses in the UWSIF. These faculty also currently advise 26 graduate students (10 are women) and 4 postdocs (3 are women), and all include undergraduates in their isotope oriented research projects. Results from the research projects will be disseminated through student and faculty presentations at regional or national meetings, and through publications in peer-reviewed journals.