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Home - Organic Biogeochemistry Lab - Sciences and Exploration Directorate - NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Organic Biogeochemistry Lab

Organic Biogeochemistry Laboratory

The Organic Biogeochemistry Laboratory is hosted within GSFC's Planetary Environments Laboratory (code 699) and is a general wet chemistry lab facility that supports sample collection, in situ analysis (in lab or field), sample preparation, and storage for a variety of planetary analogs including natural and synthetic rock, sediment, and ice materials. Studies largely focus on understanding the sources and processes that influence the detection and nature of organic materials, particularly those deemed to be analogs for Mars, Enceladus, and Europa. All projects are managed for contamination control of the facility. Samples prepared in this lab are analyzed using instrumentation in the Planetary Environments Laboratory, such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) of the Organic Processing and Analysis Laboratory.

Organic Biogeochemistry Laboratory - Equipment

The lab hosts an ion chromatography mass spectrometer, handheld electrodes and photometers for pH/conductivity/Eh/ISEs metering, handheld adenosine triphosphate (ATP) luminometers, handheld endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) meter. Support equipment for preparing samples for analyses include: a Labconco acid-compatible Centrivap with 105°C cold trap, a rotary evaporator with glass mixing jars, a large Soxhlet extractor for solvent extraction of sediments or other materials, other solvent extraction equipment, ASTM Type I water source (Ultra-clean), planetary ball mill with stainless steel mixing jars, cold sample storage (4°C, -20°C, -80°C available), ashing oven baking glassware, glassware, and chemical standards.