Yves Gélinas

Professor, department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University
Scientific Director Geotop research network

Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry in Natural Sciences: Principles and Applications.

Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS) allow the precise measurement of natural variations in the abundance of the same element in a bulk sample or in individual molecules. Stable isotope analysis of light elements such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur has first been exploited and plays an important role in geochemistry, but it is increasingly being used in other research areas (ecology, physiology, archeology, forensics and many others). In this talk, I will briefly present an overview of the theory and dedicated instrumentation needed for stable isotope analysis at the bulk and molecular levels. Examples of applications will also be given.

Biosketch

Dr. Yves Gélinas is a professor in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Concordia University and the scientific director of the Geotop research network. He obtained his PhD in Environmental Sciences in 1997 from the Université du Québec à Montréal, followed by postdoctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MA, USA) and at the University of Washington at Seattle (WA, USA). Dr. Gélinas’ work focuses on the cycling of organic carbon in the environment, in relation with the health of aquatic ecosystems, the exchanges of greenhouse gases between surface waters and the atmosphere, and climate change. He exploits a broad array of molecular and isotopic (stable and radioactive) biomarkers to identify natural and anthropic sources and sinks of carbon, and to understand processes controlling the dynamics of carbon in the environment.

Date
Date(s) - April 7, 2015
7:00 pm

Emplacement / Location
Morris and Rosalind Goodman Agora