The Marine Science Research Facility Analytical Labs service center (https://web.uri.edu/marinefacility/analytical-laboratories) is directed by Malia Schwartz, PhD, (URI GSO) and has one technical staff (Dawn Outram). Its goal is to provide the tools necessary for scientific research as well as aid in student training and sample analysis. Lab space is available for bench work (DNA extractions, molecular work, and sample preparation and analysis). General resources include 7 Percival Upright Incubators (some range from -10 to 44°C, while 1 ranges from 2-44°C), 3 walk-in environmental chambers, autoclaves (2 large, 1 small benchtop) and 1 fume hood. Services provided include training on equipment usage, consultation on experimental design, and sample analysis.
Major Equipment includes: Astoria Pacific Nutrient Analyzer (Ammonium, Silicate, Phosphate, Nitrate and Nitrite); Beckman Coulter Counter Multisizer 4; QPCR Thermocycler; Flow Cam Imaging Particle Analyzer; Turner Trilogy Field Fluorometer; Turner Designs 10 AU Field Fluorometer; Fluorescence Induction Reduction Fluorometer; Spectramax Plate Reader; PCR machines; Olympus Stereo Microscope with Digital Camera, and Nikon Epifluorescence Microscope with Digital Camera.
Minor Equipment includes: Microbalances; Eppendorf microcentrifuge; Filter manifold with 25 and 47 mm filter cups; Gel visualization box; Gel Imager; Handheld YSI with DO, pH, salinity and temperature probes; Heating/cooling block; Homogenizer; Laboratory fridge/freezer; Laminar Flow Tank; Biospherical PAR Sensor w/laptop; Micropipettes (12); Milli-Q water system; Nanodrop 1000; Qubit Fluorometer; Nikon Inverted Scope with Hoffman Contrast; pH meter; Shakers (4); Small Strip tube centrifuge; Vacuum pump; Vortex (2); Jaz Spectrometer; Bead Beater; and PreSens Oxygen meter.
The Marine Science Research Facility Shared Sea Water Facilities (SSF) service center (https://web.uri.edu/marinefacility/seawater-facilities/) at the Narragansett Bay Campus is available to University of Rhode Island researchers and students and to researchers including military and commercial enterprises outside of the University.
Edward Baker (ebaker@gso.uri.edu) is the manager and provides day-to-day oversight and assists with experimental design. The MSRF is comprised four buildings with 8,000 square feet of indoor wet lab space and nearly unlimited exterior space. Any marine environmental condition can be replicated apart from extreme depth and vastness. The MSRF has an extraordinary record of hosting hundreds of various and sometimes challenging experiments.
Facility features include specialty wet labs for pathology and transgenic research (with specialized effluent systems), a pier with four seawater intake pipes, a pump house, shallow estuarine mesocosms. Flowing seawater with customizable temperature, salinity, photoperiod, filtration, aeration, flow rates, and sunlight are all available.
The facility also includes four 90sf environmental chambers (-4 to 24oC) with photoperiod control, a walk-in -20oC freezer, a highly specialized 1200 gal laminar flow tank and 24/7 generator back-up and emergency response personnel.