Laboratorul de pregatire si prelevare probe

Sampling and sample preparation laboratory

The laboratory will include the necessary equipment to prepare in optimum conditions the samples that need to be processed. Because in many cases the results are strongly influenced by the sampling and processing of samples, the standardized/approved/recognized methods require the precise conditions of determination for a specific technique, for the sampling, the preparation of samples, and even for the processing of results.

Among the equipment that needs to be purchased, the most important is equipment for decomposition/digestion in the microwave field, ball mill, freezer, press, and ultracentrifuge. The laboratory also contains typical equipment for sample preparation: scales, ultrasonic baths, thermostatic baths, shakers, chemical hoods, heat treatment ovens, etc. The laboratory endowment, to prepare the appropriate standard samples, amounts up to ~ 12.5 million RON and is designed to serve the whole laboratory and to ensure minimum facilities necessary to conduct operations related to food processing or testing.

In addition, these devices can be also used to study the influence of random, natural, or processing factors on food.

Ion milling device

Ion milling FISCHIONE 1050 TEM Mill is a tool for creating the thin, electron transparent specimens needed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and analysis. The equipment incorporates two independently adjustable ion sources (inert gas-Argon) (TrueFocus), which can be directed to either one or both specimen surfaces, enabling simultaneous preparation of both sides of the specimen, if needed.

Technical Specifications: Ion accelerating voltages: up to 6.0 kV for rapid milling and at least 0.1 kV for final specimen polishing, programmable and can be continuously varied,2Ion beam currents: continuously varied from hundreds of nA to at least 10 mA/cm2, Continuously adjustable milling angle range of ‒10° to +10˚, Specimen rotation is in-plane and continuous throughout 360˚.

Ultramicrotome

The Ultramicrotome Leica EM UC7 provides easy preparation of semi- and ultrathin sections as well as perfect, smooth surfaces of biological and industrial samples for TEM, SEM, AFM, and LM examination. This equipment provides not only 1-2 µm thick semi-thin section of biological specimens (cell monolayer, cell pellet, and tissue sample) for immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry but also 50-90 nm thick ultra-thin section for conventional or immuno-TEM using a glass knife or diamond knife at room temperature.

Supercritical Fluid Extractor

- The SFT-150 system is equipped with an extraction/reaction vessel operating at high pressure (minimum 68.9 MPa), with a capacity of at least 500 mL, allowing work with interchangeable stainless-steel vessels of various volumes.

- The working enclosure is provided with a wide-open door above the main sampling container to facilitate access to the extraction vessel, valves, and fittings. The working enclosure must be designed for a volume of up to 2000 mL.

- The system is equipped with a dynamic/static manual valve that can operate up to a maximum pressure of 15,000 PSI and can be used for applications that require low internal volume and a small total area. The valves consist of a two-component system that ensures direct closure by metal-to-metal contact, good resistance to high pressures and temperatures, and corrosion or aggressive solvents. In this case, the valves will be operated manually.

- The manual micrometric restriction (reduction) valve is designed to provide precise control of fluids and gases from very low flow rates to very high flow rates between 1 mL/min - 330 mL/min, for liquid CO2 at a pressure of 10,000 PSI, which allows high-resolution separation of analytes with a similar degree of solubility.

- The equipment is equipped with an LED display to display the internal pressure and temperature of the work vessel. The temperature display predicts the internal temperature.

- Includes fluid preheating system that ensures the temperature of the fluid rises before it enters the reaction vessel.

- Heating system with a temperature range from room temperature up to a maximum of 200 °C.

- The waterless cooling system (which is included in the delivery) with a temperature range of -10 - 30 °C (temperature stability has a maximum variation of ± 0.1 °C) uses a refrigeration system that cools a tube included in a heat exchanger jacket through which liquid CO2 flows from the storage container. The supercooled CO2 is then delivered directly to the supercritical fluid pump.

- Temperature sensor is located inside the vessel, in direct contact with the fluid, and the accuracy of the temperature sensor is ± 5%.

- Co-solvent Isocratic pump that allows the addition of modifying solvents.

- CO2 flow meter for flow regulation in the range 0-35 SLPM (includes fittings, piping, and mounting kit) (P / N 158Y1067B); the flow rate is in the range of 0.01 - 10 mL/min; the flow error is ± 2% for the flow range 0.20 - 10 mL/min and maximum ± 0.01 mL/min for a flow range of less than 0.20 mL/min; the standard deviation of the flow does not exceed 0.2% RSD.

- The working pressure is in the range of 0 - 8,000 PSI;

Climate room

Controlled atmosphere working room

Heat treatment furnace with 3 inert gas connection

Vacuum heat treatment furnace

Biological sample preparation equipment

Vitrobot ™ is a fully PC-controlled device for vitrifying (rapid cooling) liquid samples deposited on TEM grids. The deposition (pipetting), draining, and vitrification processes are fully automated.

The operational parameters are reproducible and the result is strictly controlled by PC, which allows high-quality processing of vitrified samples, with easy and direct control of the vitrification process.

The parameters that can be influenced are temperature, humidity, number of leaks, many critical time options. The control software for Vitrobot ™ uses the Linux operating system.

Microwave digestion equipment

- The equipment allows the introduction of inert gas into the reaction chamber for pre-pressurization;

- The maximum working temperature is 300ºC;

- The capacity of the reaction chamber with a Teflon vessel is 900 mL; the equipment offers the possibility of treating several samples simultaneously (5 samples) by introducing in the treatment room a rack with 5 vessels, each with a capacity of 40 mL;

- Maximum working pressure in the reaction chamber up to 199 bar;

- 1500 W microwave power;

- Magnetic stirring system with an integrated mechanical drive for stirring samples in each vessel;

- Integrated exhaust system for extracting vapors when opening the reaction chamber;

- Quickly cooled reaction chamber with water to increase productivity;

- Equipped with ports: USB for a printer, PS2 for mouse and keyboard, USB for external memory, and RJ45 for external devices.

Soxhlet extraction equipment

The Soxhlet technique consists in solubilizing the extractable components, by dripping a cold solvent from the reflux of a condenser (the complete operation requires a very long time). The solvent extraction equipment has 3 seats and is used for solid or semi-solid products, according to the Randall technique. The Randall technique performs a first extraction phase by immersing the sample in the hot solvent, followed by washing with cold solvent; the last solubilization operation is performed by a hot solvent, thus allowing the reduction of the extraction time.

This type of equipment controlled by a programmable microprocessor allows the optimization of manual operation, ensures the reduction of extraction time and solvent recovery, reduces pollution and analysis costs, and has two LEDs that will constantly show the current temperature and time left for that analysis. . Performs quantitative separation of a substance or group of substances (eg oil content) from a mixture of solids or semi-solids and analyzes and extracts soluble compounds (fats, surfactants, plasticizers, pesticides) with organic solvents from food and food, detergents, rubber and plastic, pharmaceuticals, soil.

Precision cutting machine

Sample processing machine

Microwave mineralizer for ICPMS

Plasma cleaner

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Floor ultracentrifuge

The ultracentrifuge is made entirely of RoHS compliant materials and is equipped with a 15 ″ inclined LCD, touch screen that allows easy use even with gloves, as well as remote viewing, from any part of the laboratory, of working parameters: centrifugal speed, centrifugal force, temperature, acceleration/deceleration speed, use, and error history. The ultracentrifuge has a USB port for importing and exporting data and can be connected to a printer to print data directly from the ultracentrifuge software. Ultracentrifuge offers the possibility to warn of errors by email or phone.

The ultracentrifuge can start automatically in case of interruption and then return of supply voltage, if the interruption period was short-lived or if there are voltage fluctuations. Otherwise, the ultracentrifuge will start to return power, but will not continue the working protocol, leaving it to the user, as certain parameters may have been affected during the outage and thus the evidence may be compromised. When the power goes back, the user has the opportunity to see all the information (power outage time, power time, and other parameters that may affect the working protocol) to decide whether to continue or resume the working protocol.

The ultracentrifuge has an environmentally friendly heating/cooling system that does not use a compressor or chlorofluorocarbons. The ultracentrifuge allows the use of tubes of different volumes and chemically resistant materials

The ultracentrifuge reaches a vacuum level below 0.7 Pa, with a precision vacuum control system. For this, the centrifuge is equipped with a series diffusion pump with a mechanical vacuum pump that ensures the reduction of the vacuum level to very low levels (0.7 Pa). At the same time, high-precision sensors and electronic command and control systems are active to ensure that the advanced vacuum level is maintained throughout the spin of the spin protocol. The vacuum level is permanently displayed on the micron display. Any loss of vacuum due to a leak in the spin chamber seal will stop the spin and issue warning messages. The vacuum system starts automatically when the run is started or can be controlled manually and stops automatically when the run is stopped when the rotor speed drops below 3000 rpm.

The ultracentrifuge offers the possibility of pre-cooling and pre-heating of the rotor, allows the setting of several centrifugation modes including zone centrifugation and continuous flow centrifugation, presents the possibility of validation to demonstrate performance, simulation, and estimation of particle location in the tube during centrifugation and the optimal choice of tube-rotor and automatic calculation of the sedimentation coefficient for molecular mass during centrifugation and can analyze DNA and RNA nucleic acids.

Technical Specifications:

- Maximum speed: 100,000 rpm

- Maximum centrifugal force: 802,000 x g

- Accuracy for speed control: ± 2 rpm

- Temperature range: 0-40 ° C and can be set in 1 °C steps

- The temperature accuracy is +/- 0.5 °C compared to the set temperature

- Centrifuge allows you to set the time up to 999 hours and 59 minutes

- 1 swing rotor with 6 seats for 38.5 mL tubes model SW32Ti, with the following characteristics: maximum capacity of 6 x 38.5 mL, the maximum spin speed of 32,000 rpm, the maximum centrifugal force of 175,000 x g

- 1 fixed-angle rotor with low tilt angle (near-vertical), model NVT90, for fast separations in a density gradient, with the following characteristics: maximum capacity of 8 x 5.1 mL, the maximum spin speed of 90,000 rpm, and the maximum centrifugal force of 645,000 x g.

Sampling and sample preparation laboratory

Ion milling device

Ultramicrotome

Supercritical Fluid Extractor

Climate room

Controlled atmosphere working room

Heat treatment furnace with 3 inert gas connection

Vacuum heat treatment furnace

Biological sample preparation equipment

Microwave digestion equipment

Soxhlet extraction equipment

Precision cutting machine

Sample processing machine

Microwave mineralizer for ICPMS

Plasma cleaner

Hotpress

Presă pentru înglobare la cald

Floor ultracentrifuge

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