Development of sample preparation methods and measurement protocols for the highly precise and accurate isotopic analusis via multi-collector ICP - mass spectrometry for novel real-life applications in an interdisciplinary context.

Via 'heavy instrument' impulse financing provided by the Flemish Governement to a consortium of research groups of UGent, KULeuven and VUB, an "isotope lab" was erected within the Atomic 1 Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) research group of the department of Analytical Chemistry of Ghent University. In this project we aim to: (i) develop methods for isotopic analysis of challenging elements that show natural variation in their isotopic composition as a result of isotope fractionation effects and deploy the methods developed for real-life applications, situated in various application fiels (archaeology, geo- and cosmochemistry and medical diagnosis), and (ii) further investigate the phenomenon of mass-independent fractionation. This includes isotopic analysis of the transition elements Fe, Cu and Zn in human blood for medical diagnosis purposes and isotopic analysis of B, Cu and Sb for provenancing purposes.

Keywords:Geochemistry, Archaeometry, Isotopes, MC-ICP

Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Medical systems biology, Medicinal chemistry, Archaeology, Theory and methodology of archaeology, Other history and archaeology, Analytical chemistry, Pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance