About
We are primarily a collaborative service facility that aims to enable and develop stable isotope applications and to answer congruent research questions.
We support interdisciplinary investigations of soil and aquatic habitats by offering scientific consultation, student training, and a broad range of instrumentation and approaches for determining stable isotopic ratios of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. Our commitment is to scientific merit and publication of the stable isotope ratio measurements generated by our combined thought, time, resources, and facilities.
Our facility was established with funding from the EU structural and investment funds. We charge at-cost prices for analyses to cover consumables, but our funding rules dictate that we cannot run samples strictly for commercial purposes. For the time we invest into providing each isotope value, our academic staff therefore prefers to participate as collaborators and co-authors for all projects, conference abstracts, publications, etc. that report data generated from our instrumentation. We’re also keen to assist with data interpretation and writing manuscripts, services that you don’t typically receive from commercial labs. In summary, we primarily contribute our knowledge, experience, and machine-time to research projects that advance a significant scientific agenda.
The SoWa Stable Isotope Facility is located in České Budějovice, Czechia within the framework of the Soil & Water Research Infrastructure, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences. Initiated in February 2018, the facility currently provides the following measurements:
- δ13C, δ15N, δ 34S solids
- δ2H and δ18O of solids, alcohols
- δ13C and δ18O carbonates
- δ2H, δ18O water
- δ13C and δ2H methane and C2-6 gases
- δ13C and δ18O of atmosphere CO2
- δ13C, δ18O, δ2H fatty acid methyl esters, n-alkanes, and other biomarkers
- δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, δ2H amino acids
Analysis protocols currently in development include:
- δ15N and δ18O of N2O and nitrate
- δ13C, δ18O, δ2H monosaccharides
- δ13C organic acids
Services & Capabilities
Protocols for each analysis are linked to the parameters below.
| Analyte | δ13C | δ15N | δ 34S | δ18O | δ2H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solids: CNS or OH | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Alcohols | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Carbonates | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Water | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| C1-6 gases | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | |||
| Dissolved Inorganic Carbon | ✔ | ||||
| Atmospheric CO2 | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| N2 , N2O, NO2 , NO3 | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| n-alkanes & lipids | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Amino acids | ✔✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Monosaccharides | ✔✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Organic acids | ✔ | ||||
| DOM | ✔✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Instrumentation
The SoWa Stable Isotope Facility is equipped with a Thermo ScientificTM 253 PlusTM 10 kV IRMS configured for determining the stable isotopic ratios of C, N, S, O, and H introduced as CO2, N2, SO2, H2, CO, or N2O via continuous flow from the peripheral instruments listed below.
- SmartEA Isolink (Thermo ScientificTM) converts solid and liquid samples to CO2, N2, SO2, H2, and/or CO gases via flash combustion and, in a single injection, allows for determination of δ 13C, δ 15N, δ34S in samples with C:S ratios up to 103. A high temperature combustion furnace is also available for δ 2H and δ 18O measurements.
- Trace GC 1310 Isolink II with Conflo-IV and tandem ISQ (Thermo ScientificTM) for separation of ≥C1 gases and combustion/pyrolysis for determination of stable isotopic composition. Analytes may also be channeled to the ISQ for simultaneous generation of MS2 spectra to support compound identification. The GC injection ports are equipped with both standard and PTV injectors as well as a double-shot pyrolyzer.
- GasBench II (Thermo ScientificTM) with cold trap allows for pre-concentration, purification, and separation of CO2, N2, SO2, H2, CO, and N2O introduced via autosampler injection of headspace samples as well as direct injection onto sample loops (50-250 µL). Flow can also be diverted to GC-Isolink reactors for CH4 isotopic analysis
- LC IsoLink for separation and conversion of organic compounds to CO2 for IRMS analysis. The LC flow may be split to an ICPMS/MS detector, allowing for simultaneous analysis of stable isotopic and metal compositions. LC & IC column chromatography is envisioned to allow separation of targeted compound groups (i.e., mono- and oligo-saccharides, sugar alcohols, amino acids and organic acids) as well as non-targeted mixtures of complex natural substances with molecular weights ranging up to 1000 kDa.
Projects
Ongoing and completed projects, grants, & collaborations
| Collaborator | Institution | Project | Funding Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carsten Mueller | University of Copenhagen | Effects of simulated wildfires on organic matter | Ongoing | |
| Gerrit Angst | Biology Centre CAS – ISB/SOWA | Disentangling the effect of substrate quality on the formation and chemical composition of mineral-protected soil organic matter | GAČR 19-00533Y | Ongoing |
| Hana Šantrůčková & Jolanta Niedzwiecka | Univ. South Bohemia | Carbon use efficiency of 13C-glucose under oxic and anoxic conditions in forest soil | Ongoing | |
| Lihini Aluwihare | Univ. California San Diego | Microbial antioxidants as biomarkers of recalcitrant organic matter | CAS MSM200961904 | Ongoing |
| Andreas Lorke | Universität Koblenz-Landau | The effect of flow velocity on methane production and oxidation in aquatic sediments | Ongoing | |
| Yuliya Vystavna | Biology Centre CAS – HBU | Recharge time and water isotopes in Šumava lakes | Ongoing | |
| Veronika Jílková | Biology Centre CAS – ISB/SOWA | SOM contents in the High Artic | Ongoing | |
| Ivana Veřjiková | Biology Centre CAS – HBU | Reversal roles of predator and prey in the asp/bleak model system | Ongoing | |
| Tomaš Hajek | University of South Bohemia, Dept. of Experimental Plant Biology | Carbohydrate and phenol biomarkers in Sphagnum peat | Ongoing | |
| Alica Chroňáková | Biology Centre CAS – ISB/SOWA | Actinomycetes lipidome | Ongoing | |
| Anne Daebeler | University of Vienna | H2 consumption by bacterial nitrifiers | Ongoing | |
| Daniel Petras | Biology Centre CAS – SOWA | Microbially induced iron, nitrogen and phosphorus co-recycling and transient decoupling in lacustrine ferruginous ecosystems | Ongoing |
Calendar
Our planned instrument constellation and analyses
People
| Name | Role | Phone | Room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Travis B. Meador | Head of Laboratory | +420 387 775 637 | 206-NB | travis.meador@bc.cas.cz |
| Mgr. Ljubov Poláková | Technician | 205-NB | ljubov.polakova@bc.cas.cz | |
| Dr. Sofia Semitsoglou | Postdoc | 205-NB | sofia.semitsoglou@bc.cas.cz | |
| Stanislav Jabinski | Ph.D. Student | 205-NB | stanislav.jabinski@bc.cas.cz | |
| IRMS Lab | a.k.a. “The Luggage” | 240-NB |