For a detailed description of the instrumentation in the UMass Biogeochemistry laboratory, please click here to view the lab website.

HPLC-MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry). HPLC-MS is used to analyze larger and more polar compounds than can be analyzed by GC-MS techniques. Specifically, I use this technique to analyze glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). What are GDGTs and why are they important? GDGTs are membrane lipids biosynthesized by Thaumarchaeota (domain Archaea). A method for determining past sea surface temperature (called TEX₈₆) is based on GDGTs (Schouten et al., 2002) – basically, with increasing sea surface temperature, these organisms biosynthesize GDGTs with an increasing number of cyclopentane rings. TEX₈₆ also works for determining past surface temperatures in some, but not all, lakes (read more about the application of TEX₈₆ to lakes)

For some added excitement in the lab, the nitrogen dewar is located approximately 1 m behind the HPLC… it vents randomly and makes everyone in the lab jump when it does…

GC-FID (Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection). GC-FID is used to analyze compounds that are generally smaller and less polar in comparison to those analyzed by HPLC-MS. A variety of compounds are analyzed by GC and GC-MS, which are useful for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. These include plant leaf waxes and a variety of lipids produced by marine and lacustrine algae.

Here they are – the GDGTs! Really, this IS exciting!

Agilent 1260 series Single Quad HPLC/MS with autoinjector, 6120 series MSD, 150 vial tray, binary pump, APCI and ESI sources, Infinity micro degasser, thermostatted column compartment and 2 position/6 port valve.

The new Agilent instruments come with built-in LEDs to make them look very high-tech and fancy… and they give the lab a strange bluish glow when the lights are out.

Agilent 7890A Series custom GC equipped with two FIDs and two autoinjectors for running two samples simultaneously – awesome!