MRI: Acquisition of a GC triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for Environmental and Biogeochemical research

环境评估和生态系统研究需要先进的分析能力。这一收购的气相色谱仪与三重四极质谱仪将提供一个以前无法使用的仪器，南得克萨斯州的科学家研究地球化学循环和环境污染物。该仪器能够检测和量化数千种化合物，包括人为污染物，然后可以更详细地研究这些化合物，以评估其代谢作用或对生态系统的影响。这些研究领域是至关重要的，不仅是快速发展和工业化的南德克萨斯州地区，但在整个墨西哥湾北方。此外，随着该地区的大部分地区经常经历极端天气事件和环境变化，该仪器将在了解我们的生态系统如何适应这一变化的现实方面发挥作用。该仪器的功能将使德克萨斯A M大学科珀斯克里斯蒂分校的教师能够进行广泛的研究，但也包括我们地区的其他西班牙裔服务机构。这一工具所促成的一些潜在研究领域包括：评估工业和农业污染物的归宿、迁移和生态系统影响;确定淡水和海洋沉积物中的细菌代谢物;分析沉积物有机物和生物基质中的氨基酸;确定天然有机物生物标志物;分析大气中溶解的有机氮。这些研究将包括基础和应用研究，旨在研究自然科学过程和人类影响我们世界的方式。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Environmental assessment and ecosystem-level research requires advanced analytical capabilities. This acquisition of a gas chromatograph with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer will provide a previously unavailable instrument to South Texas scientists studying biogeochemical cycling and environmental contaminants. This instrument has the ability to detect and quantify thousands of compounds, including anthropogenic contaminants, that can then be studied in greater detail to assess their metabolic role or influence on ecosystems. These areas of research are vital, not only to the rapidly developing and industrialized South Texas region but throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, with much of this region experiencing regular extreme weather events and environmental change, this instrument will play a role in understanding how our ecosystems are adapting to this shifting reality.This instrument has capabilities that will enable a broad range of research for the faculty at Texas A&M University Corpus-Christi, but also other Hispanic Serving Institutions in our region. Some of the potential areas of research enabled by this instrument include: assessing the fate, transport and ecosystem effects of industrial and agricultural contaminants; determination of bacterial metabolites in freshwater and marine sediment; analysis of amino acids in sediment organic matter and biological matrixes; determination of natural organic matter biomarkers; analysis of atmospheric dissolved organic nitrogen. These studies will encompass basic and applied research that seeks to examine natural scientific processes and the ways in which humans are influencing our world.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.