Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory

Instruments

EcoCore maintains an extensive collection of analytical instruments for the measurement of stable isotopes, carbon and nitrogen in solid samples and aqueous solutions, inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in aqueous solutions, and for molecular analyses.

Analytical instruments

  • A Velp 802 elemental analyzer for solid sample C and N analysis

  • An O.I Analytical 3700 Automated Chemistry Analyzer (O.I. Analytical, College Station, TX) for analysis of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite and orthophosphate in aqueous samples

  • Shimadzu TOC-L (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc.) for total, organic and inorganic C, and total N in aqueous samples

  • LI-COR LI 6252 Infrared gas analyzer for measurements of CO2

  • Three isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS) with several interfaces and preparation systems for stable isotope analyses (C, N, O, H) of solid, liquid and gas at atmospheric and trace concentrations.

    • A Picarro Water Isotope Analyzer

    • Delta V IRMS coupled to a Costech ECS 4010 elemental analyzer and a Precon Device

    • Delta V IRMS, coupled to a GC-isolink unit, with a Gas Bench

  • Bio-Rad Real-Time PCR machine for gene quantification, and an additional PCR machine for routine preparation

  • A multifunction Tecan Infinite M200 plate reader for quantification of nucleic acids and proteins, enzyme assays, and any other assay requiring fluoresence or absorbance readings (230-1000 nm)