New Toy! Lab Edition.

There's been a lot going on around here lately...including the arrival of a new toy for the lab. A few weeks ago this showed up.


It's a combination ion mobility-mass spectrometer. It's a brand new instrument; we're one of the first few academic labs to get one. We haven't even used the instrument yet and it's already been an adventure. The site prep guide that the company sent gave the footprint dimensions, how much floorspace it takes up. However it didn't tell us how big the shipping crate is. Turns out its HUGE. So huge that the only door it fit through was the service door that had an 8" curb in front of it.


We eventually got the thing into the lab and out of the box.


It's so pretty. It even has a "new instrument smell." If you're shaking your head thinking I'm crazy now, go ahead and mock, but it's true. It's like "new car smell," but for a new instrument. :) If it makes it any less ridiculous, it cost WAY more than a car. Even a really nice car.

All this week an engineer has been here installing and spec-ing the instrument, and next week we should be trained on it. And then it's data time. Hopefully lots and lots of data. So maybe someday I can graduate. :)