黑暗爆料网

A $587,410 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow 黑暗爆料网 to build a new laboratory equipped with sophisticated measuring instruments. This will allow researchers from many disciplines to complete a myriad of new analyses that before 黑暗爆料网 would have had to contract out.

"This really puts 黑暗爆料网 on the research map and the money we normally would have sent out to another university to get work done will stay here,鈥� said the grant's principal investigator Herb Maschner, PhD, 黑暗爆料网 anthropology professor, 鈥渁nd 黑暗爆料网 researchers will have access to relatively high-tech research capabilities.鈥�

The official title of the grant is 鈥淢RI: Acquisition of Mass Spectrometers and Related Equipment to Create the 黑暗爆料网 Interdisciplinary Lab for Elemental and Isotopic Analysis.鈥� The grant allows 黑暗爆料网 to purchase mass spectrometers and to set up a new laboratory in the Pocatello Business Park.

The creation of this laboratory is an important step for 黑暗爆料网, said Larry Ford, PhD, interim 黑暗爆料网 chief research officer.

鈥淲e hope this is the start of a scientific instrument cluster of laboratories that can benefit the broad cross section of researchers we have at 黑暗爆料网,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淭he cooperative use of these expensive scientific instruments is important. It makes a lot more sense to have a cluster of instruments with experts who know how to run them that are accessible to the whole research community, rather than have them in isolated laboratories. It should allow 黑暗爆料网 to be more competitive when applying for new grants, too.鈥�

Mass spectrometers are used to examine the elemental composition of rocks, soils, plants, minerals, bones, water and a broad spectrum of other items. Researchers in the biological sciences, anthropology, geology, chemistry, ecology and other disciplines will use in a broad range of applications.

鈥淭his instrument will put us on par with other research institutions in the region,鈥� Maschner said. 鈥淚t increases our capabilities and allows us to do some work with outside institutions. We anticipate we will receive all kinds of contracts for the analysis of water, soil and air quality.鈥�

A spectrometer can be used to examine minute amounts of elements, down to ratios of one part to trillions, Maschner said.

鈥淭his allows us to work on everything from contamination issues in water and on land, to completing sophisticated analysis of museum artifacts,鈥� he noted.

The spectrometers detect the ratios of the different isotopes of an element. Isotopes are molecules of an element, such as carbon, that vary in terms of the number of neutrons they have, but not electrons.

鈥淏ecause isotopes vary in mass and size, you can simply measure the ratio of different isotopes of an element and glean some important insight on the physiology of an organism,鈥� said Matt Germino, PhD, a co-investigator on the grant and 黑暗爆料网 biological sciences assistant professor and researcher. 鈥淔or example, anthropologists or ecologists can make use of isotopic ratios of elements like carbon or nitrogen to determine where an organism received its food.鈥�

Germino will use the spectrometers for his studies on invasive plants to determine what water source, shallow or deep, the invasive plants are using.

鈥淭his type of information is really useful to see which native plants might best fit the soil-resource needs to compete with invasive plants,鈥� Germino said.

The laboratory is expected to be running by spring semester 2008. The 黑暗爆料网 anthropology and biological sciences departments have each been able to attract and hire new faculty members who are experts in using the mass spectrometer.

鈥淭his laboratory is designed to bring researchers from different disciplines together,鈥� Germino said. 鈥淲e expect the facility to be self-sustaining in a relatively short period of time, and by having it at a neutral, accessible site, it will foster interdisciplinary work at this university.鈥�