Facilities

The OGU hosts a laboratory of the NERC National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) (Virtual Tour), a national facility that exists to provide an organic and stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry service to the UK life sciences community. 

The group operates three chemical laboratories each specifically designed with biogeochemical research in mind, from initial sample handling and preparation, through extraction and pre-fractionation of analytes to subsequent instrument analysis. Facilities include temperature-controlled and clean rooms, a range of modern analytical laboratory equipment (inc. 7x GC-FID) and the usual data processing and desktop publishing capabilities.

Further characterisation of samples is carried out using various hyphenated techniques, i.e. chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Instruments currently owned and operated by the OGU include:

  • Thermo Scientific ISQ GC-MS (x2)
  • Thermo Scientific ISQ GC-MS coupled to a CDS-6200 pyrolyser
  • Thermo Scientific MSQ single quadrupole MS (HPLC with APCI or ESI with fraction collector)
  • ThermoFisher Scientific Fortis Plus triple quadrupole MS (HPLC, RP or NP with APCI or H-ESI)
  • IsoPrime 100 GC/C/IRMS (compound specific δ13C value determination)
  • Elementar VisION GC/C/IRMS (compound specific δ2H value determination)
  • Elementar PrecisION GC/C/IRMS (compound specific δ15N value determination)
  • ThermoFinnigan Delta XP GC/C/IRMS (x2 compound specific δ13C and δ15N value determination)
  • ThermoFisher Scientific Delta V GC/C/IRMS (GC IsoLink, dedicated compound specific δ2H value determinations)
  • Agilent 7200B GC/Q-TOF Accurate mass GC-MS
  • Thermo Scientific Orbitrap ID-X Tribrid HRAM MS (dedicated small molcule analysis, UPLC, IC or direct infusion with APCI or H-ESI)

The group also has access to the Bristol Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility (BRAMS) and an extensive range of facilities and resources run by the School of Chemistry.

Image of a GC/Q-TOF MS

Agilent GC/Q-TOFMS

The Agilent 7200B GC/Q-TOFMS is an gas chromatograph mass spectrometer capable of accurate mass determination.

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