Innovative new geosciences lab heralds new horizons for iC3 researchers

Polar researchers at iC3 now have access to two separate laboratories in their quest to find out how the links between ice sheets, carbon cycles and ocean ecosystems are impacting life on earth.

The new Polar MAGIC facility is now up and running. Officially launched alongside iC3 in January, the Polar Laboratory for Microbes and Geochemistry in Icy Climes (Polar MAGIC for short) is a new space for low-temperature research into biogeochemical processes, and will host many of iC3's incoming doctoral and post-doctoral researchers. The lab is coordinated by Dr Rory Burford, an environmental biogeochemist with a background in alpine glaciers, who is available to provide training, technical support, and advice to lab users. The first iC3-affiliated projects to benefit from the lab are METALLICA and METHANICE. 

Polar MAGIC is administered by the Department of Geosciences, and supplements the pre-existing Geology Laboratory. Both are in the same building as the iC3 centre.

The Geology Laboratory is run by four experienced engineers with a wealth of physical, geological and geochemical knowledge. Its facilities include a geophysics lab, mass spectrometry lab, micropaleontology lab, thin section lab, scanning electron microscopes and an X-ray core imaging system. The full list of Geology Laboratory facilities is here.

When asked to comment on the potential of the new Polar MAGIC lab, Rory said that:

"What we have in MAGIC is a really rare opportunity to shape a laboratory facility to the needs and desires of contemporary research. Interdisciplinary environmental research is typically divided between biology, chemistry and geology labs, often in different buildings with different ways of working.

"In MAGIC, we are building a lab from the ground up, guided by feedback from our researchers, and with an open attitude to trying new approaches. I can't yet say what the final fully self-sustaining lab will look like, but it's an exciting opportunity to be a part of."

List of Polar MAGIC facilities:

·         Ultrapure water generation

·         Chemical wash baths and programmable furnace

·         Autoclave and lab washer

·         Microwave digestion system (MARS 6)

·         Total organic carbon analyser (Shimadzu TOC-L) with total nitrogen module

·         Discrete analyser (Seal AQ300) for analysis of nutrients in saline and digested samples

·         Continuous flow analyser (Seal AA500) for analysis of nutrients in freshwater samples

·         Incubator (Memmert ICP110) for experimental incubations

·         Anaerobic workstation (DWS A35)

·         DNA extraction equipment

·         Biosafety bench and other equipment for biological prep work

·         Three temperature-controlled rooms for temporary sample storage and experimentation

·         Dedicated laminar flow hood for clean work with trace metals

If you have any questions about laboratory facilities available to iC3 researchers, please get in touch with Rory Burford (Polar MAGIC) or Ingvild Hald (Geology Laboratory).