Skip to main content

Instruments & Resources

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is home to the user facility’s 150 instruments that can be leveraged for biological, environmental, and computing research needs. The instruments and resources are available to researchers who are awarded funding through EMSL’s open call for proposals. The categories below reflect instrument groups for specific research areas. When selected, the instrument group is filtered by the instruments that fall under that category. By reviewing the instrument pages, researchers can learn how the instrumentation can be applied to research. The instrument and resource pages can also be used to identify the instrument owners and Integrated Research Platform area leads to follow up with questions before submitting an abstract to a call for proposal.

Nanospray Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The Nanospray Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometer (nanoDESI) is used for a variety of environmental research projects that are relevant to atmospheric aerosol chemistry, aquatic and soil chemistry, and mass spectrometry imaging of biological samples. This resource is available to researchers worldwide through the EMSL User Program.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization
Omics & Organic Matter Analysis

Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy for Atmospheric Research

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's scanning electron microscope offers a variety of detectors and an integrated custom-built platform for atmospheric research. These resources are available to the research community through open calls for proposals.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization

Ice Nucleation Chamber

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) has a custom-built ice nucleation chamber that researchers can use to study properties of atmospheric particles or aerosols in situ, under user-defined conditions. The chamber can be accessed through the EMSL User Program's open calls for proposals.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization

Single Particle Mass Spectrometry

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's single particle mass spectrometer, miniSPLAT, is used to characterize in situ and real-time physicochemical properties of individual particles, with unparalleled sensitivity, sizing precision, mass-spectral quality, and temporal resolution.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization

Photoacoustic Spectrometer

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's Photoacoustic Extinctiometer (PAX) measures optical properties of aerosols in real-time. PAX is available to researchers through the EMSL User Program.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Microscopy

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory offers Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry instrumentation for studying atmospheric chemistry, biological processes, and bioenergy production. This resource is available through the EMSL User Program.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization
Analytical

Super resolution structured illumination and Airyscan fluorescence microscope

The Airyscan module, mounted on the confocal fluorescence microscope, provides 3D imaging with a superior detection sensitivity and speed compared when compared to the standalone structured illumination microscopy system or classic confocal microscope. This capability is available at the Environmental Molecule Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) through the EMSL User Program.
Related Instrument Groups
Optical Imaging

Intermediate Scale Flow Cells

EMSL builds custom flow cells for pore and intermediate scale experiments to study multiphase flow and transport phenomena in saturated and undersaturated subsurface conditions. For pore scale…
Related Instrument Groups
Flow & Transport

Lattice Light Sheet

The Lattice Light Sheet microscope is a tool for imaging living organisms or cells with up to single molecule resolution. This resource is available at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a Department of Energy user facility.
Related Instrument Groups
Optical Imaging

Soil Hydraulic Property Measurements

Soil hydraulic properties determine the rate at which water and other fluids move through soils. It also determines their water holding capacity, microbial activity, and biogeochemical processes…
Related Instrument Groups
Flow & Transport

Controlled Combustion System

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's controlled combustion system mimics real-life combustion conditions around aerosols produced and improves understanding of aerosol formation, properties, and the effects on ecosystem.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization
Emerging Capabilities

Size and Time-Resolved Aerosol Collector

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory’s multifunctional size and time-resolved aerosol collector (STAC) is used to investigate how aerosol physicochemical properties evolve.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization
Emerging Capabilities

NanoLive

The NanoLive 3D Cell Explorer CX-A is a microscopy platform available through the EMSL User Program. This platform is designed for repeat observations over time on bacterial and eukaryotic cells.
Related Instrument Groups
Optical Imaging

Time-Resolved Automated Volatile Organic Compound System (TRAVIS)

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) offers a field sampling system for VOCs and SVOCs called the Time-Resolved Automated Volatile organIc compounds Sampling (TRAVIS) system to researchers through open calls for proposals.
Related Instrument Groups
Aerosol Characterization