Analytical Laboratory Yerseke

The analytical laboratory Yerseke is a service center for scientists in the institute. Our main goals are:

to analyze samples (particulate and dissolved forms as well as gases). To this end we maintain state-of-the-art facilities and high quality operational procedures. Quality control, combined with rapid turnover of samples, is our way of living and a home-made Laboratory Management System (LIMS) guarantees proper monitoring of progress and archiving.
to set up new techniques which are needed to advance ecology and oceanography. In 2007 a new HPLC-IRMS system has been acquired (2^nd one in the Netherlands) and together with scientists this apparatus has been used to develop and implement new methods (e.g. ¹³C-isotope ratio analysis of neutral sugars). The need to analyse smaller samples (zooplankton, meiofauna, DNA) has been a challenge to improve EA-IRMS so that smaller samples can now be analyzed.
to assist PhD and other students with analysis, especially with IRMS. Moreover, visiting scientist come to our laboratory to learn about optimal use of the equipment and to acquire sample preparation skills. Members of the laboratory have extensive expertise with interfacing and controlling equipment and experiment setups with personal computer. The software program Testpoint is used as the basis for dedicated control codes.
to relieve staff scientists from management tasks such as control of a central storage for disposables and lab tools, control of all chemicals in the institute (GROS-database) and control of central gas storage.

Analytical facilities

Nutrient Analyzers - Skalar and Seal


Application		Automated colorimetric detection of dissolved nutrients.
Specification		Ammonium Nitrate/Nitrite Silicate Phosphate Sulphate Urea Total-Nitrogen; after destruction (Valderamma) Total-Phosphorous; after acid destruction
Remarks
Information		Jan Sinke Anton Tramper Marco Houtekamer

DOC Analyzer - Formacs


Application		Automated detection of dissolved organic carbon by UV-wet oxidation and infrared detection of the CO₂ formed.
Specification		DOC can be detected down to x μM
Remarks		-
Information		Yvonne van der Maas Marco Houtekamer

HPLC - Dionex/Waters/Thermo


Application		Automated analysis of phytopigments, amino acids, anions and sugars.
Specification		High Performance Liquid Chromatographs (HPLC) are equipped with following detectors: Fluorescence UV/VIS Photodiode array (PDA) Conductivity Electrochemical (ED40)
Remarks		about 20 accessory pigments and degradation products are resolved amino acid stereo-isomers can be resolved
Information		Cobie van Zetten Marco Houtekamer

ICP-OES - Perkin-Elmer


Application		Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer for element analysis, (metals) in water, sediment or biological matter.
Specification		Common elements to be analyzed: iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorous (P) and manganese (Mn).
Remarks		Analysis requires liquid samples, implying destruction of particulate matter by means of acids and a microwave.
Information		Yvonne van der Maas Marco Houtekamer

Particle size analyzer - Malvern


Application		Particle size analysis for determining grain size distribution of sediments.
Specification		Mastersizer 2000, angle and intensity of scattered light is used to determine particle size, following Mie theory
Remarks		-
Information		Jurian Brasser Marco Houtekamer

GC FID/TCD/ECD - Thermo-Interscience


Application		GC-TCD/ECD/FID; for analyzing gases LV-GC-FID/FID; for analyzing FAMES on different columns. A special Large-Volume (LV) injection technique is used to detect fatty acids at low concentrations or in small samples.
Specification
Remarks
Information		Peter van Breugel Marco Houtekamer

GC-MS - Agilent


Application		Separation, identification and quantification of fatty acid methyl esters.
Specification		One of the gaschromatographs is equipped with a large volume PTV-injector and a quadropole mass spectrometer.
Remarks
Information		Peter van Breugel Marco Houtekamer

Gasanalyzer - INNOVA-Brüel & Kjær


Application		Photo-acoustic analysis of “climate active gases”: carbon monoxide, CO carbon dioxide, CO₂acetylene, C₂H₂nitrous oxide, N₂O methane, CH₄
Specification		The 1312 photo-acoustic multi-gas monitor is a highly accurate, reliable and stable quantitative gas monitoring system. Its measurement principle is based on photo-acoustic infrared detection method. This means that the apparatus can measure almost any gas which absorbs infra-red light.
Remarks
Information		Jan Sinke Marco Houtekamer

Element Analyzer-IRMS - Thermo


Application		to determine the nitrogen and carbon content and their stable isotope ratios in soils, sediments, biological tissues and suspended matter and stable isotopes ratios
Specification		Element analyzer connected via Conflo III interfaces to gas sources Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometers (EA-IRMS).
Remarks		Our laboratory routinely measures carbon (13C/12C), nitrogen (15N/14N) isotope ratios, but has also experience with oxygen and sulfur isotopes. Stable isotope can be used: (1) at natural abundance levels making use of small differences in their ratios to identify sources and transformation of organic matter and (2) at enriched levels allow tracing and quantification of nitrogen and carbon flows in ecosystems.
Information		Peter van Breugel Marco Houtekamer

GC-combustion-IRMS - Thermo


Application		Analysis of phospholipids-derived fatty acids (PLFA) and hydrolysable amino acids (HAA).
Specification		Gas chromatograph coupled with Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (GC-c-IRMS)
Remarks		This combination allows specific components including a number of biomarkers to be determined. Measuring the stable isotope ratios after adding isotopically enriched tracers combined with biomarkers makes it possible to link microbial identity, biomass and activity
Information		Peter van Breugel Marco Houtekamer

HPLC-IRMS - Thermo


Application		Separation and isotope ratio mass analysis of sugars, amino acids or volatile fatty acids.
Specification		An Isolink interface between HPLC and IRMS warrants: the mixing of sample with acid and peroxidisulphate the oxidation of the mixture at 100 °C in a reactor the extraction of the carbon dioxide from the liquid phase the transfer of CO₂to the IRMS and of the liquid to the waste
Remarks		Direct injection of water soluble materials (bulk) via an injection valve turns the Isolink into a μ-EA. Isolated RNA from bacteria can be analysed with direct injection (μ-EA).
Information		Peter van Breugel Marco Houtekamer

MIMS


Application		On-line studies of biological and technical reactions that involve gaseous reactants such as H₂, CH₄, CO, CO₂, HCN, N₂, NH₃, N₂O, NO, NO₂, O₂, H₂S, or SO₂. In addition, volatile organic molecules such as CH₃OH, C₂H₅OH, (CH₃)₂S (DMS), (CH₃)₂SO (DMSO) can be detected by MIMS.
Specification		Membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) allows continuous on-line sampling of gases (either dissolved in solution or directly from the gas phase) with a temporal resolution of a few seconds. The center piece of a MIMS experiment is a semi-permeable membrane, which separates the sample matrix from the vacuum and allows gases, but not liquids to enter the mass spectrometer.
Remarks		MIMS obviates the need for time-consuming off-line sampling and/or gas reprocessing (e.g. the conversion of O₂to CO₂).One special advantage is that isotopically labeled compounds can be employed to distinguish between fluxes of competing reactions; for example oxygen production (¹⁶O₂from H₂¹⁶O) and oxygen consumption (from ¹⁸O₂) in photosynthetic algae.
Information		Jan Peene Marco Houtekamer

Radio isotope laboratory


Application		Process studies using radioactive labeling, notably ¹⁴C, but our license allows use of some other radioactive isotopes as well.
Specification		Radioactivity is measured with a Packard TriCarb 2910TR Liquid Scintillation counter. Samples are dissolved or suspended in a solution containing fluors. During radioactive decay, the fluors are excited and dissipate energy by emitting light. The light flashes are detected by the Liquid Scintillation Counter.
Remarks		Link to site concerning primary production measurements with 14-C
Information		Jan Peene Marco Houtekamer

DIC analyzer - Apollo SciTech


Application		Determination of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations in sea- and porewater samples
Specification		AS-C3 analyzer (Apollo SciTech) comprising an acidification and purging unit in combination with a LICOR-7000 infrared detector.
Remarks		DIC concentrations are calculated with Dickson’s reference samples. The simplicity of the system performs normally with relative standard deviations of less than 0.1 %.
Information		Jurian Brasser Marco Houtekamer

Alkalinity titrator - Metrohm


Application		Determination of total alkalinity in sea and pore water, using Gran titration.
Specification		Metrohm open vessel system at constant temperature
Remarks		Alkalinity concentrations are calculated with Dickson’s reference samples. The system performs with standard deviations of less than 5 µmol/kg.
Information		Jurian Brasser Marco Houtekamer

Analytical Laboratory Yerseke

Analytical facilities

Meet the analytical team Yerseke

Recent Highlights