Facilities - NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Stable Isotope Laboratory

The laboratory was constructed and established in 2004. It is a 600 square foot air conditioned space with high precision temperature control. As part of the Astrobiology Research Group's suite of laboratories it is used exclusively for stable isotope research into biosignatures and other for astrobiology topics. It houses a Finnigan 253 stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer equipped with nine collectors allowing measurement of the following gases (at the pertinent m/z values): H₂ (2, 3): N₂ / CO (28, 29, 30); NO (30, 31, 32); O₂ (32, 33, 34); CO₂ (44, 45, 46); CH₃Cl (50, 52); CH₃Br (94, 96). It has a dual inlet device for highest precision analysis of reference materials and halogen samples, but is used mostly in continuous flow mode via a ConFlo-III interface. Its peripheral devices which prepare and feed samples to the instrument include: GasBench II for Carbonates / Waters / DIC / CO₂ in air, with thermostated 96 sample tray; Costech Elemental Analyzer for oxidative preparation of sulfur and carbon bearing samples; Thermo chemical elemental analyzer for glassy carbon reductive preparation of H₂ and CO (for oxygen isotope analysis); H/Device for high precision H isotope analysis of water by Cr reduction; GC-combustion / pyrolysis via GC/C-III/TC interface package for C,N,O and H molecule specific analysis, offering approx. 10 nanomole sensitivity for carbon in organic compounds. All peripheral devices have automated sample feeds. In addition there are two devices for spatially resolved analysis, a MicroMill for high precision micro-sampling and a New Wave UP213 laser sampler used mainly for sulfur isotope analyses and run on-line to the mass-spectrometer. Additional equipment includes a 0.0001 mg Mettler Toledo UMX2 electronic microbalance and a low-temperature oxygen plasma ashing oven for removal of trace organic matter from carbonates before analysis. The laboratory is supervised by Dr. Max Coleman and Mr. Randall Mielke.

Astrobiology / Biochemistry Laboratory

The laboratory is in the process of being re-fitted and much of the current, old equipment is being replaced. Its current instruments include a Varian GC/MS with autosampler; two HPLC systems, an older Waters instrument with a Varian model 360 Fluorescence detector a newer Agilent system. We have just had delivered a new Varian FTS 7000 Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometer and ancillary equipment for preparation of samples for introduction to the instrument. We are also assembling exposure simulation chambers illuminated with Deuterium and Xenon UV lamps. The laboratory is supervised by Dr. Pascale Ehrenfreund.

Microbiology / Molecular Biology Laboratory

This is a comprehensively equipped laboratory in which the relevant equipment includes; facilities for culturing aerobic and anaerobic microbes and especially extremophiles; incubators covering the range from psychrophilic to hyperthermophilic microbes, bench-top and high speed centrifuges; inverted microscope and other microscopes. The laboratory has attached but separate preparation and glassware washing areas. The laboratory is supervised by Drs. Pascale Ehrenfreund and Max Coleman.

Analytical Instrument Laboratory

The Analytical Instrument Laboratory is dedicated for the specific purpose of performing research on new and unique aspects of mass spectrometry and related fields. Included are various vacuum systems, mass spectrometers (one 12.7 cm focal plane, one 5.0 cm focal plane, and one 2.5 cm focal plane) with array ion detectors, chemical fume hoods, vacuum ovens, electronic assembly benches, clean benches, etc. Aerosol particle characterization facilities include Particle Analysis by Mass Spectrometry System, aerosol generator, optical particle counters, different lasers, optical tables and optical components. The miniature mass analyzer has been developed in the Analytical Instrument Laboratory. Extensive electronic and mechanical fabrication facilities exit at JPL. These include machine shops, instrument development shops, electronic equipment fabrication shop, and glass blowing shop. Complete electronics testing facilities for A/D converter characterization are located in our section. Several pulse instruments, data generators and clock drivers are in the laboratory and are used to simulate and characterize test chips. JPL also has extensive facilities for the assembly, alignment, testing and calibration of flight instruments.

The Analytical Insstrument Laboratory is supervsed by Dr. Mahadeva Sinha.

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