The Culture Lab is equipped with two low-temperature incubators (Percival LT-36VL and E-36VL) and two refrigerators to grow various types of algae under different light conditions and temperatures, including UV-A and UV-B.

Cultures can also be grown on an orbital shaker that can be placed inside the incubator.

Both the LT-36VL and the E-36VL have a white light intensity of up to 1,450 µmol/m-2/s-1, a UV-A light intensity of up to 40 W/m², and a UV-B light intensity of up to 1 W/m². All …

Several analysis tools are available for cell-based research e.g. facilities to carry out polymerase chain reactions (PCR). The qTower³ G touch qPCR machine is a 96-well format and currently uses one SYBR Green module, however, can be equipped with up to six for multiplexing capabilities. One main function of this system will be to evaluate stress parameters on microbial communities collected from Arctic snow and ice samples.

The Laboratory for Dendroclimatology aims to reconstruct the temporal and spatial variability of the climate of the past utilizing multi-parameter tree ring analysis and to assess and verify the causes of climate change and its impact on woody plants.

The following tasks are covered:

• quantitative analysis of the climate-signal transfer from atmosphere through soil and leaf into the wood of tree rings (Monitoring, calibration and verification of tree ring parameters vs. instrumental …

In the Micro-CT laboratory, biological, paleontological, and geological objects are analyzed using computer-assisted methods. The laboratory is a hub both for research at the museum and for the digitisation of the scientific collections. In addition to various devices for three-dimensional scanning (a Phoenix Nanotom S X-Ray tomograph, an Artec Spider and an Artec EVA hand-held scanner), the laboratory has 12 powerful workstations for processing and analyzing the raw data using special 3D …

This lab is dedicated for carrying out various microbial techniques in a sterile environment. These include the isolation of fungi on agar media from soil samples, the purification of DNA from microbial cultures and soil samples, and setting up of soil microcosm experiments. Sterile conditions are created by the laminar flow workbench, the use of sterile disposable instruments (e.g., inoculation loops, pipette tips) and by sterilizing surfaces with 70% ethanol and/or isopropanol solutions. The …

The micropaleontology lab is equipped to conduct morphological analyses including extraction, microscopic preparation and taxonomic investigations of microfossils from terrestrial plants e.g. pollen grains and aquatic organisms e.g. diatom valves and chironomids from lake sediment archives or permafrost deposits. Microfossil analyses are used to investigate spatial and temporal changes and environmental reconstructions in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.
The extraction of microfossil remains …

The Omics Lab is currently equipped with all facilities to carry out DNA extractions, polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. Current research includes the biodiversity and functions of cryophilic microbiomes with the focus on snow and ice algal communities.

Processes related to the solvents extraction of snow and ice algae or particles are conducted in the Organic Microbial Geochemistry Lab. These processes are done in combination with ultrasonic bath, shaking, and solid phase extraction. Evaporation of organic extracts using nitrogen or argon gas, as well as various intermediate steps such as milling, acidification and filtration are also carried out in this lab. The subsequent analysis is done with the [Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyzer …

Optical microscopes are available in the Microscopy Lab for different techniques, such as brightfield, polarization contrast, fluorescence. The microscopes can also be equipped with cameras

We also have the FlowCam 5000 by Yokogawa, which is a particle analyzer capable of taking optical images. It is comparable to a flow cytometer and features a syringe pump and 100 x 700 µm glass capillary, where liquid passes through. During a sample run, images of the flow are taken with a camera, …

The palaeogenetics lab is a part of the larger molecular genetic facility specialized to analyse ancient sedimentary DNA and is placed in a separate building apart from the modern and recent environmental lab and Post-PCR areas. In the palaeogenetics lab we analyse ancient DNA from sediment cores (lakes or marine archives) or permafrost deposits.
We apply DNA metabarcoding and metagenomics (shotgun and hybridisation capture) to investigate spatial and temporal biodiversity with the aim of …