The Analytical Core Lab

Providing chemical analysis for researchers and hands-on training in advanced instrumentation for students.

The Analytical Core Lab located at the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences supports research in two ways. The first, the Analytical Core Lab maintains a variety of instrumentation that can be utilized by researchers on campus or through the SFS staff. The core lab also helps teach students about analytical techniques in preparing samples as well as hands-on education about the instrumentation utilized in the lab. The Analytical Core Lab contains several workstations that can be utilized for experimentation for nutrient, trace metal, or isotope analysis.

Analytical Facility

The Analytical Core Lab can conduct non-certified analyses for dissolved nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, Total C (filter, solid, or tissue), Total N (filter, solid, or tissue), trace metals, and isotope ratios (d15N [solids/filters], d13C [gas or solids/filters], d18O [liquid], d2H [liquid]). Instrumentation used by the core lab includes ICP-MS, IRMS, TOC-TN analyzer, CHN, IC, AA, CRDS, plus others.

Analysis	Instrument	Internal UW Price	External Price	Unit Base
Carbon and Nitrogen Soil or Tissue	Carlo Erba NA 1500 Series	$3.92	$7.90	sample or standard
Carbon and Nitrogen Filter	Carlo Erba NA 1500 Series	$3.92	$7.90	sample or standard
C and N Isotope Ratio Soil or Tissue	Delta V Plus	$9.03	$18.01	sample
C and N Isotope Ratio Filter	Delta V Plus	$9.03	$18.01	sample
Hg Analysis	Merx-T	$5.64	$22.58	sample or standard
Common Cations (Mg, Ca, K, Na)	ICE-3000 Flame AA	$3.39	$6.77	sample
Trace Element	Thermo Element 2 ICP-MS	$14.14	$22.58	sample
Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients (NH4+,PO43-, Silica)	Seal Analytical AA3	$3.39	$6.77	sample or standard
Water Isotopes	Picarro L2130-i	$6.77	$13.55	sample
TOC, NPOC, TN	Shimadzu TOC-L	$7.73	$8.62	sample or standard
Common Anions (Cl–, NO3–, PO43-, SO42-)	Dionex ICS-1000	$3.39	$6.77	sample or standard
	Zeiss M2 Upright	$9.20	$13.34	hour
	Ultra Centrifuge	$9.74	$10.87	hour
	FTIR	$6.62	$7.39	hour
	Zetasizer	$17.37	$19.38	hour

Student Experience

The goal of the Analytical Core Lab is to provide hands-on education and experience to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students. The core lab provides a work environment built around completing chemical analyses that will further their education and research while aiding in the learning of traditional and advanced instrumentation.