RAPID: Relocation and installation of Agilent 6560 IM-QTOF to advance multidimensional analysis at the University of Georgia

This project will relocate and install a high-resolution Agilent 6560 Ion Mobility Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (IM-QTOF) at the University of Georgia (UGA). As a powerful platform for characterizing complex chemical mixtures, the IM-QTOF will significantly expand UGA’s capacity to investigate environmental systems and contaminants in water, soil, and air. Studies using this analytically precise instrument will contribute to improved public health, environmental protection, and regional scientific infrastructure. The project also fosters educational and societal impact by providing hands-on research training to undergraduate and graduate students and supporting the environmental monitoring efforts of local communities. The Agilent 6560 IM-QTOF combines ion mobility separation with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, enabling the detection and structural characterization of isomeric and trace-level compounds in complex environmental matrices. It will operate in the UGA Department of Geology to analyze samples from a range of geochemical and biological systems, including freshwater, ocean water, sediments, deep subsurface samples, and hydrothermal fluids. These analyses will improve understanding of contaminant fate, transformation pathways, and biogeochemical cycling. The IM-QTOF will also support interdisciplinary applications across environmental science, geomicrobiology, and environmental forensics, establishing UGA as a regional center for advanced, multidimensional chemical analysis. 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.