Project objective: Acquisition and implementation of a laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) for the high-resolution elemental and isotopic analysis of organic and inorganic substrates in the marine, earth and environmental sciences.

Funding was awarded for  the acquisition of an LA-ICP-MS system at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center to be used for the elemental and isotopic analysis of a broad range of natural materials. Specific research projects that have been or will be enhanced by acquisition of LA-ICP-MS at Northeastern include the reconstruction of past seawater temperature from coral cores, experiments on marine organisms that require chemical labelling of their shell or skeleton, research investigating metal incorporation in carbonate minerals, investigations of fish population structure and connectivity using chemical fingerprinting of the ear-bones (‘otoliths’) of fish, and numerous other projects investigating shell/skeletal production and environmental toxins. The newly acquired LA-ICP-MS serves researchers working within various disciplines at Northeastern and at other institutions throughout the region and beyond.

The newly acquired LA-ICP-MS system combines key technological capabilities that facilitate research in the earth, ocean, and climate change sciences. These capabilities include (1) high precision/accuracy afforded by efficient plasma ionization, variable mass resolution, and high mass and ion transmission stability; (2) broad mass range; (3) substrate versatility (liquids and solids), including in-situ measurement of solid substrates via laser ablation at < 5 µm spatial resolution; (4) ultra-low detection limits (ppq-to-ppm, depending on the isotope) due to high signal-to-noise ratios; and (5) rapid, simultaneous analysis of multiple isotopes (> 20) afforded by the system’s high sensitivity, rapid adjustment of mass resolution and magnetic field strength, and minimal sample preparation requirements. The newly acquired LA-ICP-MS system represents a substantial improvement in the precision, accuracy, and detection limits over the existing methods available at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center for quantifying the elemental and isotopic composition of natural materials.

The timeline of accomplishments of the award are as follows. Various instruments were researched and demonstrated at Northeastern and through remote operation between 2015 and 2018. The new mass spectroscopy lab to house the new laser ablation ICP-MS system at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center was completed in 2016. Instrument purchases were negotiated in 2018. The laser ablation and ICPMS systems were purchased in winter/spring 2019 and delivered in spring/summer 2019. Vendor training on the instrumentation was provided to Ries and key personnel in summer 2019. Protocols for calibrating and using the ICPMS system in solution and laser mode were developed in summer 2019. Sets of external and internal CaCO3, glass, seawater, and freshwater standards were produced from raw materials or purchased in 2019-2020. Methods for routine measurements of corals, scallop shells, oyster shells, seawater samples, and calcifying fluid samples were finalized in 2019-2020. The LA-ICP-MS was fully operational by fall 2020

The PI and other researchers have used the instruments in numerous research projects, including:

(1) Measurement of the Mg/Ca ratios of calcifying marine organisms across a latitudinal range, showing that Mg/Ca ratios of marine calcifiers increases systematically from pole to equator, that roughly one-quarter of the studied calcite-producing organisms occupy seawater that is chronically undersaturated (i.e., favors dissolution) with respect to their shell mineralogy, and that up to half of the studied species will experience chronic undersaturation by the end of this century.

(2) Development of multi-elemental paleothermometers for scleractinian corals and coralline red algae that allow for the reconstruction of seawater temperatures with relatively high accuracy/precision compared to conventional methods in tropical (coral) and subpolar/polar (coralline red algae) waters over the past century.

(3) Development and characterization of novel, matrix-matched internal standards for the analysis of corals (Siderastrea siderea) and coralline algae (Clathromorphum compactum).

As of the end of 2020, the funded research has provided educational and training opportunities for 1 Northeastern faculty member, 1 technician, 2 postdoctoral researchers, and 1 graduate student, and resulted in two manuscripts (1 published, 1 in review). Additional educational and training opportunities are anticipated for the years ahead, especially as the instrument’s user base at Northeastern and throughout the region expands to encompass other disciplines, including engineering and health sciences.

Ancillary benefits of acquiring the new LA-ICP-MS at Northeastern include the generation of data related to climate and oceanic change processes that should inform the decisions of legislators and policy makers seeking to mitigate the deleterious impacts of CO2-induced climate change and the stimulation of business activity between Northeastern and the two companies that manufactured the acquired instrumentation.  Acquisition of the LA-ICP-MS has also created job opportunities for the technicians hired to assist with the setup, operation and maintenance of the system at Northeastern and for postdocs hired by PI Ries to assist with instrument method development and associated research.

Last Modified: 01/15/2021
Modified by: Justin B Ries