MRI: Acquisition of a PyroCube IsoPrime 100 EA-IRMS for Stable Isotope Research

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

An award is made to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to support the acquisition of an elemental analyzer isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS). The EA-IRMS system will enhance the scientific and technological education of a socially and economically diverse body of students of all ages, and will substantially advance ongoing and future research by UNH faculty. Specifically, the proposed instrument will enhance the Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates (NERU) program which brings students recruited from underrepresented groups to UNH to study changing northern ecosystems. Stable isotope work has been critical in the majority of NERU projects, and enhanced analytical capabilities at UNH will expand the range of projects for the students, while reducing analytical costs for the program. Access to the EA-IRMS will be provided for middle and high school teachers and students through partnering with the Joan and James Leitzel Center for Mathematics, Science and Engineering Education at UNH, and will provide an opportunity for chemistry, biology, and earth science teachers to use cutting-edge techniques to enhance their scientific and technological preparedness. The proposed instrument will also strengthen the UNH curriculum through creation of two new stable isotope courses and inclusion in up to 13 other UNH courses that together will expose more than 1000 students per year to training in isotopic analyses. Additionally, stable isotope analysis will be integrated into two extensive, ongoing projects promoting healthy nutrition in young adults: the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey and a USDA Multi-State Research Project. These projects seek to promote healthy eating habits for students of diverse socioeconomic background and ethnicity across 11 states. The need for stable isotope analysis has increased dramatically in recent years as a result of the increase in number and breadth of research disciplines that rely on stable isotope techniques, as well as the rapid technological improvements in stable isotope analysis. At UNH, faculty from diverse disciplines will use the EA-IRMS to study a broad range of research topics including: 1) methane cycling in wetlands; 2) coastal nitrogen pollution; 3) marine methyl hydrate production; 4) archaeological analysis of cod fisheries; 5) long term trends in the carbon and water cycles of temperate and tropical forests; 6) the role of wetlands and river systems on controlling flooding and water pollution 7) effects of forest management on small mammal communities; 8) bacterial and fungal controls on soil carbon storage; 9) crop, weed, and soil management for improved food production; 10) the role of fungi in forest ecology and climate change; 11) evaluating the impact of dietary food choices on young adult health;12) linking dairy cow diet to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; and 13) tracking the consumption of agricultural and human supplied food in deer populations. The requested EA-IRMS will directly meet the research and training needs of more than 24 UNH faculty, 45 graduate students, and many more undergraduates, as well as external research groups.