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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE researchers awarded $137K NSF-MRI grant to purchase gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer

An interdisciplinary team of University of New England researchers has been awarded a significant National Science Foundation-Major Research Instrumentation grant to purchase an important piece of analytical equipment.

Principal investigator Ursula S.R. Roese, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biology, together with co-PIs Amy E. Keirstead, Ph.D., assistant professor and Amy Deveau, Ph.D. associate professor, both in the Department of Chemistry and Physics; Teresa L. Dzieweczynski, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology; and Stephan I. Zeeman, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Marine Sciences, will use the $137,527 award to purchase a state-of-the-art gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS).

A GC-MS is an instrument that allows for the separation and analysis of volatile and semi-volatile chemical components in mixtures and is an important analytical tool that is widely used in a variety of disciplines.

The GC-MS will be housed in Dr. Roese's laboratory in UNE's Alfond Center for Health Sciences and used by faculty and students in the basic science departments (Biology, Marine Sciences, Chemistry and Physics, and Psychology) at UNE for a wide range of research projects, including: analysis of plant volatiles and hormones; secondary metabolites in algae; product distributions in chemical reactions; characterization of materials for photovoltaic and other "green" nanotechnology applications; hormone levels excreted by fish and their correlation to behavior; and organic matter in river sediments.

Faculty involved with these projects extensively include undergraduate students in their research activities, so students will gain valuable hands-on experience with state-of-the-art analytical technology while participating in cutting-edge research in the fields of chemical ecology, chemistry, animal behavior and chemical oceanography. Says Roese: "Students will gain exposure to techniques and instrumentation that will enable them to be more marketable and better prepared for future careers in science, industry, and when applying to graduate programs."

The GC-MS will also be used for classroom teaching activities in chemistry and biology, including discovery-based learning, and as part of outreach programs such as UNE's NSF-funded GK-12 SPARTACUS program, which aims to link university researchers and their graduate students with the K-12 community.

 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.