Our Research Facilities

The Deines Facility hosts a suite of isotope-ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS), including EA/IRMS, nano-EA/IRMS, compound-specfic isotope analyses (CSIA), and isotopologue analyses using Orbitrap MS; Organic molecular characteriation via GC/MS, HPLC/MS, GC/FID, and a separate lab for biomarker extraction and separation, including Automated Solvent Extraction (ASE).

The lab also hosts the Thermo Scientific MAT 253 + IRMS with an Isotope Batch Extraction System (IBEX) to study carbonate clumped isotopes and sedimentary geochemistry.

For more info, see: Freeman Research Group, Lloyd Lab, and Ingalls Lab

The Department has ample shared facilities for rock preparation, including rock saws, ball mills, drill press, and other sample preparation needs. The department also hosts a refrigerated core storage facility, and significant paleo fauna, flora, and coal type specimen collections.

Department petrographic analysis facilities specialize in high-resolution optical and digital microscopy in both transmitted and reflected light. Thin sections, rock slabs, and sediment can be scanned at high magnification and stitched together in photo mosaics for high-resolution digital petrographic analysis. Instruments include a Zeiss AxioImager.M2, a Zeiss Axioskope, a Keyence VHX-7000 4K Digital Microscope, and a petrographic microscope with a cathodoluminscence (CL) unit. The Keyence VHX-7000 has high-accuracy measurement and analysis capabilities driven by machine learning and advanced image-processing tools.

For more info, see: Kelley Lab

Penn State Core facilities in the life sciences feature next-generation and high-throughput sequencing, and a myriad of sample characterization capabilities. They also provide training and workshops in bioinfomatic methods for data analysis.

For more info, see: Genomics Core Facility, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinfomatics, and Huck Institute of Life Sciences Core Facilities

MCL is a world-class and expansive Penn State Core facility that specializes in advanced methods for the characterization of samples, including material surface chemistry and texture, isotope, and elemental compositions. Example methods include FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), SEM, TEM, and ToF-SIMS.

For more info, see: Materials Characterization Lab. The MCL Director is Dr. Josh Stapleton and you can meet the MCL team here.

This facility specializes in isotope analyses across the periodic table. It includes a class 1000 trace metal clean laboratory for ultra-trace chemical and sample preparation. Instruments include ICP-AES (major elements), ICP-MS (trace elements), MC-ICP-MS (Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Sr, U), TIMS (Ca, Sr, Rb, Nd, Sm), and LA-ICP-MS (in situ measurements). An IRMS with an Elemental Analyzer and a GasBench introduction system enables measurements of organics and carbonate samples for bulk isotopic properties.

For more info, see: LIME. The LIME Director is Dr. Sara R Kimming and the analytical team includes: Dr. Sara Kimming (MC-ICP-MS & TIMS Labs), Laura Liermann (ICP-AES Lab), Dr. Dongxiang Wang (ICP-MS) and Dr. Allie Baczynski (IRMS Lab).