Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

A gas chromatograph (GC) is requested to support the programs of six faculty members and their research teams at Dalhousie. The requested configuration incorporates an autosampler and a high performance oven to ensure rapid processing of samples and high throughput. It is also equipped with a flame ionization detector that has a large linear range and exceptional sensitivity for detection of a variety of organic compounds. The primary application of this GC will be in the characterization and quantification of fatty acids (FA). Such FA analysis will support research in a number of areas, including food web elucidation, investigating relationships between physical properties and structure, and identifying alternative fuel sources. The GC instrumentation requested will also be essential in determining a range of bioactives recovered from animal and fish processing waste, including nutraceuticals and products of the bioconversion of glycerol. In addition, the GC system will be used in the analysis of natural antimicrobials used to control the growth of food borne pathogens. Lastly, volatile components and oxylipins in brewing applications will be determined using this equipment. Thus, the GC system requested here will enable significant advancements to be made in the diverse research programs of the six applicants.