Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory - Equipment

Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory - Equipment

The Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA Goddard is an 1800 ft² unique facility dedicated to analyzing organic compounds in terrestrial analogs and extraterrestrial materials. The fundamental approach is a targeted search by compound class using either mass spectrometry and gas (GCMS) or liquid (LCMS) chromatographic separation of sample extracts and usually two independent simultaneous detection systems.

GCMS

Thermo Fisher Trace 1610 GC - Triple quadrupole 9610 MS system: This system is equipped with a GC with dual split/splitless injector and pyrolysis configurations along with a subambient liquid N₂ cryogenic oven. The triple quadrupole MS with electron ionization source allows for full scans and single ion monitoring.

Thermo Finnigan Trace 1310-TSQ8000 GC-triple quadrupole MS system: This system is equipped with a GC with split/splitless injector and a subambient liquid N₂ cryogenic oven. The triple quadrupole MS with electron ionization source allows for full scans, single ion monitoring, and multiple reaction monitoring.

LECO GC-HRT+ 4D system: This GCxGC-ToF-MS system contains an Agilent 7890B gas chromatograph (GC), and LECO Dual Stage, Quad Jet Thermal Modulator serve as the inlet to high resolution time of flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer has mass range of 10-1500 m/z, a resolving power of up to 50,000, and an acquisition of 200 Hz.

Thermo Finnigan hybrid GC-MS/IRMS instrument with auxiliary TC/EA and EA inlets: This is an instrument suite for both bulk and compound-specific isotope analysis. The core is a dual-inlet MAT 253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with multiple inlets for sample introduction. The Trace GC is also connected to a DSQ II quadrupole mass spectrometer.

LCMS

Waters ACQUITY UHPLC (3): Two UHPLCs are two channel LC that functions at high tolerances, one is a four channel LC. One has an ACQUITY Photodiode Array Detector, and all three ACQUITYs have Multi-Channel Fluorescence Detector (FD) for operations up to 15,000 psi for improved separations by allowing the use of columns packed with 1.7µm resin.

Thermo Vanquish UHPLC: This UHPLC (Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatograph) is a four channel LC that functions at high tolerances. It has an Accela Photodiode Array Detector for operations up to 15,000 psi.

Thermo Orbitrap Exactive: This is a Fourier Transform (FT) mass spectrometer with a mass accuracy of <1 ppm below 400 m/z, a resolution of over 100,000 at masses below 400 m/z. Also contains an optional Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) solid scanning inlet.

Thermo Scientific UltiMate 3000 RSLCnano system: This nanoflow UHPLC has a 900 bar maximum operating pressure, and stable flow rates from 0.05-1.5µL/minute. It is attached to a Picometrics ZETALIF laser induced fluorescence detector with a 355nm diode pulsed laser optimized for the flow rates and capillary tubes of the nanoflow UHPLC. Serves as an inlet to the Thermo Orbitrap Exactive.

Thermo TSQ Quantum Ultra LC/MS/MS This triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer allows MS/MS for structural identification of compounds in a mass range of 30-1500 m/z. Sample is introduced via electrospray from a UHPLC.

Waters Xevo TQ-S micro: This triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer excels at quantitation and allows MS/MS for structural identification of compounds in a mass range of 2-2048 m/z. Sample is introduced via electrospray (ESI) from a UHPLC.

Waters Xevo G2 QToF: This is a quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF) mass spectrometer with an electrospray (ESI) and corona ionization (APCI) source. It possesses a mass accuracy of 2 ppm, a resolution of 32,500, and has a mass range of 20 to 100,000 m/z. Sample is introduced via electrospray from a Waters ACQUITY.

Other Sample Preparation Facilities

The lab is also equipped with an ISO 8 white room with a fume hood and two ISO 5 HEPA filtered benches for sample preparation. A variety of other supporting equipment including microblances, furnaces for pyrolyzing glass and substrates, freeze dryer, stereo microscope, a torch, rotary evaporator, ultrahigh purity water, the necessary glassware, a vacuum system, balances, fume hoods, gas regulators, meteorite safes, a dedicated data server with daily backups to a different building, separate quiet data analysis workstation room, etc.

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