Technology Platforms
The research activities of the UCD Earth Institute are advanced through access to leading and innovative technologies. The Institute is committed to maximising cooperation between research groups with regard to access to technology platforms and to identifying synergies and opportunities wherever possible.
In 2014 Institute principal investigators will move into UCD Science Centre East and a suite of state-of-the-art laboratories. The new space will encompass ‘wet’ laboratory facilities and collaborative computational space, representing the multi-disciplinary research activities of the Earth Institute. Further facilities are also available at other locations on the UCD Belfield campus, including the Smart Cities and Infrastructure Hub at Richview, the affiliated Schools and the Rosemount Environmental Research Station.
For further information, contact the Technology Platforms & Resources Co-ordinator Ana Serrenho
.
Technologies and Equipment:
3D LIDAR Imaging (Light Detection and Ranging): Measures the distance to, or other properties of, a target by illuminating the target with light (UV, visible, near IR). Has been used extensively for atmospheric research and meteorology.
Real time and Photo-acoustic gas analyzer: Photo-acoustic spectroscopy is the measurement of the effect of absorbed electromagnetic energy (particularly of light) on matter by means of acoustic detection. Has become a powerful technique to study concentrations of gases at the part per billion or even part per trillion levels.
Atmospheres and climates walk-in-modules,
Radiation and phonological measurements,
Systems: Soil respiration & transportation, respiration chambers, soil heating, climate sensor.
Technologies and Equipment:
Network, computing and repository equipment.
Technologies and Equipment:
IRMS – Isotope-radio mass spectrometry: Used to measure the relative abundance of isotopes in a given sample, allowing precise measure of mixtures.
Gas Chromatographer: Analyse of compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. Typical used to test the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture. The gaseous compounds in analysis interact with the columns walls, each compound elute at a different time (retention time). Comparing the retention times is what gives the GC its analytical usefulness.
Technologies and Equipment:
Mass Spectrometer: Analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles. Used for determination of masses of particles, elemental composition of samples, chemical structures of molecules.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Used to separate mixtures of analytical compounds enabling the identification, quantification and purification of the sample. The retention time of the component is detected reflecting the concentration of each.
Technologies and Equipment:
Cell culture and reactors plant.
Technologies and Equipment:
Desktop Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): High-resolution desktop imaging of morphology at submicron and nanoscale level.
Electron microscope: Small multi-mode desktop electron microscope, will accommodate 2 imaging modes, TEM and electron diffraction (ED).
X-ray Fluorescence quantitative analytical system: XRF detects the emission of X-ray fluorescence from a material that has been excited with high-energy. Is used for elemental analysis and chemistry analysis.
Microtome: Sliding microtome (Leica SM2010R). Produce high quality sections for routine histopathology, neuroscience and industrial applications.
The Paleontology platform will be set in the New UCD Science Centre. Will have the laboratory facilities to storage, prepare, and test fossil samples, with cutting-edge image equipment, for collection and analyse.
Technologies and Equipment:
Chlorophyll Fluorescence Module (CFM): Provides measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence using the pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) technique. The pulse that is induced is used to probe the efficiency of light-use.
Fluorescence microscopes and stereomicroscopes.
Technologies and Equipment:
Real-time PCR: Real-time polymerase chain reaction is a laboratory technique based, which is used to amplify and simultaneously quantify a target DNA molecule. Its key feature is that the amplified DNA is detected as the reaction progresses in real time.
Taqman probe for real-time PCR machine: Designed to increase the specificity of the detection of real time PCR assays.
Spectrophotometer: Measure the reflection or transmission properties of a material as a function of wavelength.
Fluorometer: Measures parameters of fluorescence: its intensity and wavelength distribution of emission spectrum after excitation by a certain spectrum of light. These parameters are used to identify the presence and amount of specific molecules in a medium.
Technologies and Equipment:
Portable weather station
Ground Motion/vibration sensors, broadband seismometers Pyrometers: Non-contacting device that intercepts and measures thermal radiation, used to determine an object’s temperature.
Ohm Mapper: The Ohm-Mapper is a capacitively-coupled resistivity system designed to operative measure subsurface resistivity without metal electrodes which is optimized for use in highly resistive areas (permafrost, deserts, sand, snow, resistive geology, even roads and pavement).
Portable falling weight deflectometer: Measure the surface modules. Allows bearing capacity determination and quality assurance of unbound layers.
Ground penetration radar (GPR): Geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. Is a non-destructive method, detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures. GPR can be used in a variety of media, including rock, soil, ice, fresh water, pavements and structures. It can detect objects, changes in material, and voids and cracks.
Solar and daylight monitoring station: Located on campus at UCD Architecture.
Its purpose is to,
- Provide a regularly monitored and recorded dataset of both solar and daylight irradiance and radiance for use in sustainable building and solar applications and research.
- Provide a fully equipped experimental platform available for the development and testing of new instruments and devices relevant to the general fields of solar energy and daylight in building design and modelling.
The station will, in general, conform to the Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage (CIE) International Daylight Monitoring Programme (IDMP) standards and quality control methodology. However, the facility will also support further related developments. Digital Imaging Suite: The measurement of the sky luminance distribution is an important feature of an IDMP research class station. We are currently focusing on the development of a better solution than that currently specified by the CIE and based on Imaging Luminance Measurement Devices, an important and developing technology.
Technologies and Equipment:
Transmission Electron Microscope with a cryogenic stage: The cryogenic stage allows specimen observation below 25K.
Bioreactors for biofuels and bioproducts,
Micro GC units for gas analysis,
Fluidised bed gasifiers,
Autoclave Facility – Manufacture of advanced composite materials.
Considerable computer resources, mainly centred around the "Urbis" database of spatially referenced (GIS) data. This includes a GIS training centre as well as the software and hardware to store and access the information.
The Built Environment Laboratory (BEL) consists of a state-of-the-art equipment laboratory, supported by technical expertise. Provides facilities for modelling (both physical and computational), measuring and field monitoring. Research themes supported include: Energy and environment, Indoor environmental quality, Daylight and solar, Natural ventilation, Building thermal performance, Urban climatology, Renewable energies.
Technologies and Equipment:
Hemispherical Artificial Sky: allows researchers and designers to simulate daylight conditions within and around buildings, using scale models.
Thermography: thermographic analysis of buildings and their components by means of studying thermal performance, energy efficiency, construction quality, thermal bridging and moisture detection amongst others. It uses a digital thermographic camera to provide detailed real-time analysis.
Ventilation, Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort: a range of instrumentation and data logging equipment is available for measurement and analysis of several parameters including building air-tightness, air change rates, air quality characteristics and airborne particles.
Climate Monitoring: a wide range of instrumentation is available for the measurement and analysis of both indoor and outdoor environments. Specific configurations can be arranged to support a widely varying range of research applications.
