Facilities and Resources

Lab and office space

In the Anderson group, we have the tools and expertise to perform research in the following focus areas: chemical separations and mass spectrometry, synthesis, and bioanalytical chemistry, particularly in the development of nucleic acid extraction methodolgies. We occupy approximately 3,000 square feet of combined laboratory and office space in Gilman Hall and Hach Hall. All synthesis and biological research is performed in the Gilman Hall lab while all chromatography and mass spectrometry research is carried out in the newly constructed, custom-designed Hach Hall labspace.

Chemical separations and mass spectrometry lab

Instrumentation within our laboratory for chemical separations and mass spectrometry includes:

  • Two (2) Shimadzu Prominence HPLCs employing variable wavelength and fluorescence detectors
  • Two (2) Agilent Technologies 1260 HPLCs employing photodiode array detectors
  • Agilent Technologies 1260 Infinity II HPLC employing photodiode array detection
  • Agilent Technologies 6230B accurate mass TOF LC/MS coupled to a 1260 HPLC with a phototodiode array detector
  • Two (2) Agilent Technologies 7890/5977 GC/MS systems
  • Agilent Technologies 7697A Headspace Sampler
  • Two (2) Agilent Technologies 6850 GCs with FID and autoinjector tower
  • A homebuilt comprehensive GCxGC system employing a cryogenic modulator built from an Agilent Technologies 6890N GC
  • Two (2) Agilent Technologies 6890N GCs with FID and autoinjector tower/vial tray
  • Two (2) Agilent Technologies 7890 GCs employing flame ionization, thermal conductivity, and electron capture detection
  • Gerstel Technologies thermal desorption unit (TDU)

Within our lab, we have six water bath/vacuum assembly stations designed for the static coating of GC capillary columns. These stations can accommodate the simultaneous coating of 12 capillary columns. We also have all necessary tools for the high-throughput production of SPME extraction devices using spin coating within a Rayonet photochemical UV reactor employing a rotating carousel. The laboratory also has two (2) analytical balances, two (2) top loading balances, and a Mettler-Toledo microbalance.

Synthesis and characterization lab

Tools within our laboratory for synthesis and characterization includes:

  • Heating mantles
  • Round bottom flasks
  • Dean-Stark traps for azeotropic distillation
  • Separatory funnels
  • Reflux condensers
  • Three (3) vacuum ovens
  • UV reactors for “Click” chemistry
  • Two (2) Buchi rotary evaporators
  • UV lamps for TLC plates
  • TLC developing chambers
  • Metrohm coulometric Karl Fischer titrator
  • Sherwood Scientific Mk1 magnetic susceptibility balance
  • Du Nouy ring surface tensiometer
  • Brookfield Engineering cone and plate viscometer
  • Ultimaker Model 3 FDM 3D Printer
  • Formlabs Form 3 SLA 3D Printer
  • B9 Creations DLP 3D Printer
  • Ultimaker Model S5 Pro system including S5 FDM 3D Printer, Air Manager, and Material Station
  • Two (2) Anycubic Mega S FDM 3D Printers
  • Anycubic Photon Mono 4K Resin 3D Printer
  • Noztek Pro HT desktop filament extruder
  • Golander microflow variable-speed peristaltic pump
  • Two (2) Harvard Apparatus Model 11 Plus syringe pumps
  • Labomed biological digital microscope
  • Caldera high temperature furnace
  • Labomed digital zoom stereo microscope
  • Milli-Q Simplicity water purification system
  • Milli-Q Synergy water purification system
  • Milli-DI water purification system

Chemical instrumentation facility

We use shared instrumentation in the Chemical Instrumentation Facility located in the chemistry department. This includes 600 and 400 MHz NMR spectrometers, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrometers, DSC/TGA, and CHN analyzer. Characterization of the paramagnetic properties for the magnetic ionic liquids synthesized in our group is performed using a SQUID magnetometer in collaboration with scientists from Ames Laboratory on campus.

Instrumentation and supplies within our laboratory for bioanalytical and nucleic acid chemistry include:

  • NuAire Class II, Type A2 biological safety cabinet
  • Two (2) Eppendorf incubator shakers
  • Two (2) Microcentrifuges
  • Benchtop centrifuge
  • Eppendorf 5920R refrigerated centrifuge
  • Fisher Scientific Isotemp dual chamber thermostatted water bath
  • Thermolyne benchtop incubator
  • Corning low speed orbital shaker
  • Revco -86°C freezer (Gilman Hall)
  • Revco -25°C freezer (Gilman Hall)
  • K2 Scientific -86°C freezer (Hach Hall)
  • K2 Scientific -25°C freezer (Hach Hall)
  • Thermo Scientific NanoDrop 2000c spectrophotometer
  • Invitrogen Qubit 4 fluorometer
  • BioTek Synergy Hybrid H1 Microplate Reader with Take3 Micro-Volume Plate
  • Bio Rad CFX96 TouchTM Real-Time PCR System
  • Bio Rad CFX ConnectTM Real-Time PCR System
  • Techne FTgene2D thermal cycler for PCR
  • Techne 3PRIMEBASE thermal cycler for PCR
  • Bio Rad Gene Pulser Xcell electroporator with PC and CE modules
  • Bethesda Research Laboratories H4 horizontal gel electrophoresis system with a Neo/Sci dual output power supply
  • Thermo Scientific Safe Imager Blue Light Transilluminator
  • Qiagen miniprep kits for nucleic acid extractionThe synthesis and sequencing of oligonucleotides for our group’s work can be done at the ISU DNA Facility located across the street from our laboratory.