Two views of the lab

General Purpose Equipment

We are fortunate to have a lab very well equipped for a variety of projects in microbial ecology. Available are epifluorescence photomicroscopes, microelectrodes, a variety of analytical instrumentation, and equipment for extracting and amplifying environmental DNA. Available to us, next door in the Astrobiology Microbial Culture Facility, is the equipment necessary to pursue our studies of microbes isolated into culture.

We do a variety of water and gas analyses. Nutrients (nitrate, ammonium, orthophosphate, and silicate) are measured using a nutrient autoanalyzer. Major cations and anions are determined using ion chromatography, and gas chromatographs (with FID, FPD, TCD, and PID) are used to measure various fixed and trace gases.

Molecular Biology

We extract DNA from natural samples for a variety of purposes. Thermal cyclers are used to amplify DNA from environmental samples. Not visible is our laminar flow (clean) hood.

An important part of the work that we do takes place in the field. Specifically, it is important for us to be able to make measurements of microbial processes in the natural environment (in situ) whenever possible. Therefore, we are able to take most of equipment and run it at a field site. These photos show some of the equipment that we use on our field trips. For more information on our flux chambers, and their stirring motors, which were built by Ames' CodeF/CodeIC Work Products click the link above.