University of Edinburgh CryoFlex

Systems Engineer Henry Cooke recently installed a Sercon CryoFlex for Ben Jackson at the the Department of Global Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh.

Installation of the CryoFlex was the final piece of the puzzle to allow operation of this bespoke system. Soil samples will be ablated, combusted into CO₂ and cryo-trapped by our CryoFlex, before the ¹²C/¹³C isotope ratio is detected by the CAS (Capillary Absorption Spectrometer). The CryoFlex has been installed in between a laser and Guiding Photonics CAS detector.

It is the first time a Sercon CryoFlex has been partnered with a CAS, and Henry had to use his experience to make the appropriate tweaks within the CryoFlex to provide the optimal flows/pressures/concentrations for both samples and reference gas, demonstrating the adaptability of Sercon systems.

Hardware and software integration between systems of three different companies was completed with relative ease, a great feat of collaboration.

The lab studies Plant soil microbe interactions and the first project with the new systems completely up and running will be to discover the sphere of influence that roots have on their surrounding soil

Henry’s week-long visit took place during the Edinburgh festival, allowing him to go see some comedy shows in the evening after work

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