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Glasgow Molecular Organic Geochemistry Laboratory (G-MOL)
*** Opening***
In June 2009 we celebrated the opening of the new G-MOL facility with friends and colleagues from the University and Department as well as partners from SUERC and SAGES. We were especially grateful to Professor Geoff Eglinton FRS, who officially opened the facility as guest of honour and keynote speaker. Organic geochemistry, as a research field, was in great part originated by Geoff and other natural product chemists working in the Glasgow chemistry department in the 1950s and 1960s. Therefore, the opening of G-MOL represents the return of organic geochemistry to Glasgow after a forty-year absence.
Organic geochemistry at Glasgow in the 1960s
*** Facilities***
The wet chemistry laboratory
The laboratory employs the latest technology, including two Caliper Rapid Trace units, to facilitate the extraction of lipid biomarkers and their separation into compound class fractions; with maximum, speed, reproducibility and yields.
The gas chromatography clean laboratory
The GC lab is fitted to house several Shimadzu GC-FID 2010s and a Shimdazu GC-MS-QP2010 Plus. GC-FID (Gas chromatography - Flame Ionisation Detection) is used to quantify the abundances of organic compounds. We have one Shimadzu GC-FID 2010 (with AOC-20i,20s autosampler) dedicated to lipid biomarker analyses and one Shimadzu GC-FID 2010 (with cold trap injector) dedicated for analyses of organic gases and volatile compounds.
Gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is used, when required, to confirm compound identities (in Electron Ionisation mode) and/or to increase sensitivity of analyses for certain compounds (in Chemical Ionistaion mode.) Our Shimdazu GC-MS-QP2010 Plus can operate in EI or CI (with ammonia) and is equipped with an autosampler.
The analytical clean room, housing a Shimadzu LC-MS and peripherals, sited at SUERC
We share access to the LC-MS laboratory at SUERC. Liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation–mass spectrometry is used to analyse compounds which are not amenable to GC analysis. This includes novel tetraether compounds, produced by archaea and bacteria, which have huge potential for organic geochemical studies.
*** People***
The first G-MOL cohort is taking shape:
Group Leader: Dr James Bendle
 Dr Supriyo Das Swedish VR Research Fellow, project: "High-resolution palaeoclimate reconstruction using biomarkers from a Loch Sunart sediment core, North West Scotland."
 Heiko Moossen SAGES PhD student, project: "Palaeoclimate reconstructions from Arctic and Nordic shelf seas: development and application of multiple proxies."
 Paula Sankelo Kone Foundation (Finland) PhD student, project: "Mapping inputs of plant biomarkers to glacial ice archives: A novel tool for paleoclimatology."
 Huiling Sun China Scholarship Council funded visiting PhD student (PR China), project: "Biomarker records of environmental change from lake Guan Shan in the monsoon marginal zone in northwest China."
 Christopher Gallagher G-MOL Technician.
 Allison DeYoung (summer 2009) Fieldwork assistant and laboratory volunteer, projects: " Hokkaido Lakes (Japan) 2009 expedition and a biomarker pilot study of Lake Toyoni."
Robert Jamieson Nuffield Bursary Undergraduate Student, project: "Application of multiple biomarkers to constrain dietary sources of Arctic zooplankton."
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