EBS Facilities and Resources
Overview
The Division of EBS is well equipped for research in the whole range of areas in which we are active: ranging from laboratory work in biochemistry, molecular biology, and microbiology; to modeling and simulation of processes at the molecular and regional scales; to field study of estuarine and groundwater environments. On this page, we do not catalog all of this equipment, but rather provide brief descriptions of three types of resources: (i) major resources that are shared by the whole Department, (ii) unique facilities that developed as a result of long-standing strengths of the department in specific areas of research, and (iii) significant instrumentation that has been acquired recently.
Cooley Science Center
Most of the division's laboratories and offices are located in the Cooley Science Center. This building was was designed and constructed in 1992 specifically for our needs, with dedicated space for activities ranging from molecular spectroscopy to anaerobic microbiology to handling and preparation of contaminated soils and sediments.
The very successful integration of the building's functions with its form and aesthetics made it a notable success for the architectural firm that designed it. The building also transformed the DSE campus as described in this Visions Magazine Article from Winter 1993. The Cooley Science Center is still one of the most prominent landmarks on what is now OHSU's West Campus. (Cooley Location)
Large Experimental Aquifer Program (LEAP)
The principal mission of the Center for Groundwater Research (CGR) is to conduct state-of-the-art research in areas relating to the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface. This is accomplished through a combination of research grants and contracts, support from Center corporate sponsors, and through collaboration with other universities, industries, and government agencies.The Center coordinates a range of projects relating to the transport and fate of contaminants in soils and groundwater. The scope of the Center includes, among other things, the development of: 1) new sampling and site characterization techniques; 2) new analytical techniques; and 3) improved groundwater remediation methods.The Center operates the Large Experimental Aquifer Program (LEAP) which contains the experimental cells outlined below. The LEAP facility provides staff with the capability to conduct both bench-scale experiments and pilot-scale demonstrations. Current projects include transport through fractured clay, air sparging of source petroleum zones containing MTBE, and a pilot scale demonstration of zeolite as an in-situ permeable barrier material.Students involved in LEAP research graduate with a rare combination of experience in full-scale remediation engineering and a process-level understanding of contaminant hydrology and chemistry. (Web Site)
Columbia River Estuary Observation and Forcasting System (CORIE)
The pilot nowcast-forecast system CORIE includes a real-time data acquisition network with twelve multi-sensor oceanographic stations in the Columbia River estuary. Field operations are conducted from the Marine Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS). MERTS is a facility developed in partnership with and operated by the Clatsop Community College (CCC). CCC operates two training and research vessels: the 50-foot M/V Forerunner and the 21-foot R/V Tansy Point. CCC operates two training and research vessels: the 50-foot M/V Forerunner and the 21-foot R/V Tansy Point. CCC operates two training and research vessels: the 50-foot M/V Forerunner and the 21-foot R/V Tansy Point. CCC operates two training and research vessels: the 50-foot M/V Forerunner and the 21-foot R/V Tansy Point. (More Info, Web Site
Bioinorganic Spectroscopy
The EBS division is equipped for spectroscopic characterization of biological free radicals and metalloprotein complexes using a combination of approaches, including electron paramagnetic resonance, vibrational, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies. Instrumentation available for EPR spectroscopy within EBS includes a Bruker E-500 X-Band EPR spectrometer. Instrumentation available for vibrational spectroscopy within the EBS department includes a Perkin-Elmer System 2000 FTIR spectrometer. Instrumentation available for MCD spectroscopy within the EBS department includes a custom spectrometer based on an Aviv Associates Model 41 DS scanning CD monochromator. (More Info)
Confocal Microscopy
Laser confocal microscopy allows the microscopist to obtain fluorescence images from a discrete plane of focus, even in complex samples. The data from these optical sections can be combined to provide detailed three dimensional information about a sample. Confocal microscopy is particularly useful for investigating the identities and activities of microbes in their natural context. Our new confocal microscopy facility consists of a Zeiss LSM 5 Pascal three laser system with both upright and inverted microscope stands. Also included is a unique Zeiss technology, the ApoTome, which allows optical sectioning at any wavelength using "grid projection" or "structured illumination". A CCD camera captures images in three defined steps, as a grid of stripes of defined width is projected onto the focal plane of the objective and shifted laterally. On-line computation is used to combine the three "raw" images into an optical section through the sample, which is free of artifacts, with out-of-focus information removed. This device allows the user to approximate results achieved with laser scanning microscopy, in a fraction of the time.