Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Brock University
$48,245.00
Upgrade of picosecond lifetime fluorometer
FY 2007-08
Summary
Funding is requested to upgrade our existing laboratory built picosecond time resolved fluorometer. The fluorometer is one of the most frequently used spectrometers in our laboratory. It forms the basis of many of our collaborations. We have frequent visitors from the US, Europe and other labs in Canada who come to Brock to use this instrument. The microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier is the time sensitive detector which sets the time resolution of the instrument. These are expensive and have a limited lifetime. The time resolution of our instrument has dropped from less than 50ps to over 110ps in the last year due to deterioration of our MCP. Although it might not sound like a big difference, the time resolution has dropped by a factor of two and we really need to be under 50ps to "see" the reactions we are measuring. The other critical part of the instrument is the pulsed light source. We use a diode laser which is now well over 10 years old. It started life in our system with "just enough" intensity but is now falling below that critical level. We are requesting funds to upgrade our instrument with a new microchannel plate and a new pulsed diode laser. Both requested items surpass our originals and we should attain an even higher time resolution which is critical to our studies.
Program
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
359195-2008
Name nom
Bruce, Douglas
Department département
Biological Sciences
Organization id
22
Institution établissement
Brock University
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2007
Competition year année de concours
2008
Award amount
48245
Program id
EQPEQ
Program name en
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Program name fr
Outils et instruments de recherche - catégorie 1 (<150 000$)
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
3
Committee name en
Plant Biology & Food Science
Committee name fr
Biol vég/sc alimentaire
Area of application code
303
Area of application group en
Energy resources
Area of application group fr
Ressources d'énergie
Area of application en
Alternative energy resources
Area of application fr
Autres ressources d'énergie
Research subject code
4901
Research subject group en
Plant and treebiology
Research subject group fr
Biologie végétale et des arbres
Research subject en
Nutrition and metabolism, photosynthesis
Research subject fr
Nutrition et métabolisme, photosynthèse
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Upgrade of picosecond lifetime fluorometer
Keyword
NA
Application summary
Funding is requested to upgrade our existing laboratory built picosecond time resolved fluorometer. The fluorometer is one of the most frequently used spectrometers in our laboratory. It forms the basis of many of our collaborations. We have frequent visitors from the US, Europe and other labs in Canada who come to Brock to use this instrument. The microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier is the time sensitive detector which sets the time resolution of the instrument. These are expensive and have a limited lifetime. The time resolution of our instrument has dropped from less than 50ps to over 110ps in the last year due to deterioration of our MCP. Although it might not sound like a big difference, the time resolution has dropped by a factor of two and we really need to be under 50ps to "see" the reactions we are measuring. The other critical part of the instrument is the pulsed light source. We use a diode laser which is now well over 10 years old. It started life in our system with "just enough" intensity but is now falling below that critical level. We are requesting funds to upgrade our instrument with a new microchannel plate and a new pulsed diode laser. Both requested items surpass our originals and we should attain an even higher time resolution which is critical to our studies.
