RUI/MRI: Acquisition of a Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer for Marine Science Research at the Shannon Point Marine Center

Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

The PIs request funding to acquire a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) with a multipurpose sampler for Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC). The requested instrument has a scan range that will enable it to detect and identify a diverse range of compounds. The multipurpose sampler will allow liquid and headspace samples to be injected manually or with an autosampler. It will also allow samples to be concentrated and then be desorbed and injected into the GC/MS. The instrument will be used by marine scientists and students, including many members of underrepresented groups, at SPMC and by visiting scientists and student researchers from other institutions who are working at SPMC. This instrument system will provide capabilities that are currently unavailable to researchers at the lab, even at the main Western Washington University campus. The instrument purchased on this grant will be used by SPMC faculty and research staff, visiting scientists, and participants in SPMC?s NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Multicultural Initiative in the Marine Science: Undergraduate Participation programs. Broader Impacts: SPMC has a long track record of training and education of underrepresented groups, including the 2002 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for their Multicultural Initiative in Marine Sciences. SPMC has Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Multicultural Initiative in the Marine Sciences: Undergraduate Participation (MIMSUP) programs. There is also a strong track record of dissemination of research results, including both presentations at conferences and publication in peer reviewed journals. In support of basic science, as this MRI is, the SPMC group has demonstrated noteworthy dedication to impacting diverse areas of science and segments of society.