BIOMICS

Southern CrOss UNiversity

Adavnced Bioisotope & Metallomic Imaging Facility

BIOMICS is composed of a Laser-ablation system NW193 from ESI, with large two-volume ablation cell linked to an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS) 7700 from Agilent or a Multicollector Neptune Plus XT from Thermo Fisher. The facility inaugurated in 2012, is a clean environment to allow the detection of ultra-trace elements and high-resolution isotopic ratios. The lab was completely redesigned in 2020 when the new MC-ICPMS was installed following the success of our Australian Research Council LIEF grant. The facility also features a positive air pressure and constant monitoring of temperature, humidity, and air particle count.

Samples are placed in the large ablation chamber, where the laser vaporises specific parts of the surface. A flow of He in the ablation chamber carries the elements towards the mass spectrometers where it mixes with a flow of Ar just before entering the plasma.

Because of the laser beam width, intensity and pattern can be changed easily; the instrument thus offers not only high-precision measurements but also very targeted sampling and virtually non-destructive analyses.