MRI: Track 1: Acquisition of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer to Quantify Trace Metal Ions Enabling New Research and Research Training at Barnard College

This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation Program and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program. Drs. Austin, Brenner, Donegan, Mailloux, and Vizcarra at Barnard College will acquire an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). ICP-MS enables the measurement of very low levels of metals in many different sample types, including: biological molecules, tissues, solid materials (after appropriate treatment), and water samples. This instrument will allow researchers at Barnard and other institutions in the region to pursue important areas of research in the fields of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science, including: groundwater and soil contamination; nutrient sources that fuel persistent, difficult-to-treat bacterial infections; and the global cycling of carbon. The acquisition of an ICP-MS at Barnard College will support students in a range of research and research training programs, including programs targeting at diversifying the scientific and engineering workforce. The acquisition of an ICP-MS will enable a number of different research groups to answer vexing questions about the role of metal ions in complex systems. The instrument will enable the determination of the cellular processes involved in heme uptake in non-tuberculosis mycobacterium. It will also facilitate identification of the active site of the non heme diiron enzyme alkane monooxygenase (AlkB). Questions about the coupling between the metabolism of anaerobic bacteria and arsenic solubilization will be addressed by using the ICP-MS to measure arsenic levels in water samples from mesocosm experiments. The capacity of oysters living in close proximity to an EPA-designated Superfund site to record lead contamination by analysis of their shells will be investigated using the instrument. The instrument will also contribute to on-going work to test the hypothesis that arsenic levels in rice grains are controlled, to a large extent, by zinc levels in soils, with high arsenic levels correlated with zinc-depleted soils. The ability of the instrument to detect trace levels of large number of metals will be used in several catalytic projects where the reaction medium will be examined to determine if metal ions are leaching from catalyst surfaces during chemical reactions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.