SCM Instrumentation Lab (Lab 14)

This lab is designed for analysing samples using the instrumentation. Only limited sample preparation can be conducted in this lab with non-hazardous substances. Users wanting to carry out biological, chemical or material sample preparation are encouraged to use labs 11 and 12, which are designed for biological and chemical sample preparation. 

The instrumentation lab is stocked with basic consumables that would be necessary for most experiments, including:

• Pipette tips
• Mica cover slips and replacement windows
• Microscope slides
• Cling film, foil, parafilm
• Eppendorf tubes 0.5 - 2.0 ml
• Falcon tubes 15 ml and 50 ml
• Plastic seal bags
• Anti-static weigh boats - small, medium in large and large in black and white

If you run out of something, or can't find what you need, please contact the Lab Technician or your Local Contact.

This lab contains the consolidated Offline instrumentation from all four Soft Condensed Matter beamlines. In addition to bench space, the following instrumentation is available:

• ThermoFisher FTIR-Nicolet 8700 Continuum microscope - High performance infrared sampling and visible light microscopy in one unit for spatially resolved chemical information from all types of samples. Bespoke instrument that measures IR spectra in the 400-4400cm^-1 wavelength region. Liquid cell available. Smart Orbit Diamond ATR crystal 30,000-200cm^-1 available.
• Perkin Elmer Lambda 950 UV-vis spectrophotometer - UV/Vis/NIR measurements in the 190-3300 nm range. A PTP-1+1 peltier system is available for thermostatting of up to six 1cm cells in the sample beam, temperature range 0-100C.
• Anton Paar Physica MCR 501 rheometer - stress controlled rheometer suitable for viscosities ranging from water to polymer melts; temperature control using air or water (between -20°C and 350°C). Geometries include plate/plate, cone and plate and Couette. Please speak to a member of the I22 team for more details.
• Kruss Tensiometer K11 for measurement of surface tension and interfacial tension - measuring range - SFT/IFT 1-999 mN/m, resolution 0.01 mN/m, density 1-2200 kg/m, resolution 1 kg/m3
• Implen nanophotometer P330 UV-vis spectrophotometer with CCD array detector
• Eppendorf centrifuge 5430: rotor available FA-45-24-11-HS
• Eppendorf centrifuge 5430 R: rotors available - F-35-6-30; FA-45-30-11
• Eppendorf Concentrator plus for vacuum concentration of DNA/RNA, nucleotides, proteins and other liquid wet samples. 
• A range of pipettes
• Technico PW-01 balance
• Fisher Scientific heated stirrer plate
• Technico MiniSpin
• KMO2 stirrer plate
• Grant ultrasonic bath
• Binder oven - temperature range: ambient temperature pus 5C to 300C
• BioRad midi electrophoresis cell dedicated to running one or two Criterion gels and power pack
• Elga unit providing ultra-pure water (18.2 ohm)
• Fridge freezer - +4C to -20C

The instrumentation and equipment are available for use during your beamtime and as offline standalone instruments. For use of the instrumentation during your beamtime, please include the instrument when completing the Lab Risk Assessment Form which can be found through the UAS under the 'lab access' section of your ERA. If you wish to use the equipment independent of your beamtime, see Offline Access section of the Diamond website for information on how to gain access.