MRI: acquisition of a gas chromatograph isotope ratio mass spectrometer for compound-specific isotope analysis

Syracuse University, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the acquisition of a gas chromatograph coupled to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (GC-IRMS) at Syracuse University (SU). GC-IRMS systems permit the analysis of stable isotopic ratios of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen in particular classes of organic materials ranging from waxes to amino acids to synthetic organic compounds. By isolating the isotopic signature of a single compound type with known pathways of synthesis, deposition, and degradation, GC-IRMS instrumentation allows us to link isotopic signals to particular chemical, physical, or biological processes. This instrument will therefore enable a broad group of users at SU to generate data that addresses questions of pressing social importance in a variety of fields. For instance, hydrogen isotopic analyses of lipid compounds produced by terrestrial plants can quantify paleoclimatic changes in rainfall. These data can then be used to evaluate the skill of climate models and hone our understanding of the reliability of future projections from these models. Analysis of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in amino acids also have the potential to advance our understanding of ocean ecosystem responses to both past and current global change. The instrument also serves an important educational function, providing undergraduate and graduate students with training in laboratory and analytical skills directly transferrable to STEM careers. Additionally, the GC-IRMS will support ongoing efforts to create summer internship opportunities for underserved K-12 and community college students, providing direct exposure to future career pathways in STEM fields. GC-IRMS techniques combine the chromatographic resolution provided through GC with the precise isotopic measurements provided by mass spectrometry. This type of instrumentation will support ongoing NSF-funded research in paleoclimatology, ecology, and biogeochemistry. For instance, the presence of a GC-IRMS at SU will enable hydrogen isotopic analyses of terrestrial leaf waxes, which will be used to reconstruct monsoon dynamics during past warm intervals in Earth history. Moreeover, nitrogen and carbon isotopic analyses of baleen and carbonate shell-bound organic matter will support reconstructions of trophic webs in marine ecosystems. Additional users at SU and affiliated institutions will use compound-specific isotopic methods to interrogate the controls on the growth of freshwater microbialites, the transformation of pollutants in fluvial systems, and the structure and function of multi-trophic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. The GC-IRMS therefore fulfills a major gap in research infrastructure at Syracuse University and will support the continuation as well as the growth of cutting-edge research across a variety of disciplines of Earth Sciences. 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.