Research at Department of Science and Environment

Research Strategy for Department of Science and Environment

Research activities

Here is an overview of the research groups, research centres, research networks and research facilities.

  • Research groups

    Chemistry

    Mathematics and Physics, (IMFUFA)

    Environmental Dynamics

    Molecular and Medical Biology
     

    Research networks

    Roskilde Environmental Plastic Society

  • Glass and time

    Centre for Frustrated Molecular Interactions - FRUSTMI

    Centre for Mathematical Modeling - Human Health and Disease

    PandemiX Center
     

    Centre for Big Data

  • Among the research facilities at the Department of Science and Environment is a modern laboratory building from 2014 equipped to the research in biology and chemistry and workshops that particularly supports physics, environmental biology and environmental science.

    Workshops

    Visit the workshops' website

    Biology

    The building contains among other things two confocal microscopes, which researchers from outside the university can use. Read more about the possibilities at microscope-core.ruc.dk.

    Chemistry

    Based in a new building equipped with modern infra-structure, chemistry researchers in the DSC work with state-of-the-art instrumentation and analytical facilities, such as:

    Mass Spectrometry

    Associate Prof. Torben Lund (tlund@ruc.dk)
    Associate Prof. Biljana Mojsoska (biljana@ruc.dk)
    Rosa Jersie-Christensen, PhD (rrj@ruc.dk)

    LC-MS: LTQ-XL Thermo Finnigan linear ion-trap mass spectrometer with a HESII electro spray ion source, coupled to a Dionex Ultimate 3000 UHPLC and a diode array detector.
    Instrument use: Analysis of ruthenium dyes, natural products, intact proteins, peptides, organic reaction mixtures.

    Q Exactive Plus, high resolution mass spectrometer coupled to a Dionex Ultimate 3000 nano-HPLC.
    Instrument use: Proteomics and exact mass determinations.

    GC-MS: Thermo Scientific Trace 1300 GC coupled to a ISQ-7000 EI-MS and a TDC detector. The instrument includes a Triplus RSH autosampler with PTV and head-space injection.
    Instrument use: PCB and gas-molecule detection (H2, CO, CO2…).

    Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer

    Associate Prof. William Goldring (goldring@ruc.dk)
    Associate Prof. Anders Malmendal (amalm@ruc.dk)
    Operator: Annette Christensen (acis@ruc.dk)

    Bruker Ascend 400 MHz, including auto-sampler and BCU II variable temperature control
    Instrument use: Analysis of synthesis and natural products, biological material, and molecular complexes. Methods include, structure characterization and elucidation using a variety of routine and non-routine one- and two-dimensional experiments.

    Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)

    Associate Prof. Søren Hvidt (hvidt@ruc.dk)

    Malvern Zetasizer Nano-S
    Instrument use: Analysis of nanoparticles, including materials and biological complexes, for particle size measurement and polydispersity determination.

    Other instruments

    The section is also equipped with a number of other instruments, such as infrared and UV spectrometers, preparative and analytical chromatographic equipment (HPLC, radial LC, size exclusion), rheometers (Bohlin VOR and Haake RS100), calorimeters (ITC and DSC), photochemical lamps (400 and 125 W medium pressure Hg) and reaction vessels, and chemical computation facilities (Gaussian and Macromodel).

    Environmental Biology

    The Environmental Dynamics Section is equipped with modern analytical facilities, as well as with facilities for growing plants and algae and assessing their physiological status. The latter include:

    • Photobioreactors (PBRs) for the production of microalgae
      The PBRs include two bubble-column PBRs, each of 50 L, and two tubular PBRs, each of 250 L.
    • Equipment for PAM fluorometry
      This equipment include a basic Hansatech FMS-1, as well as a Walz Image-Pam and a Walz Microscopy-PAM.
    • IRGAs
      We have two infrared gas analyzers, a CIRAS-3 single channel system for absolute measurement and a CIRAS-3 dual channel system for differential measurements.
    • Field spectroradiometer
      For field as well as laboratory measurements of plant and vegetation light reflection, we have an ASD FieldSpec spectroradiometer.

    Other facilities

    FTIR Spectrometer Frontier (Perkin Elmer)

    • Infrared laser used to quickly and definitively test wavelengths of compound materials, such as plastic.
    • Can test macro and micro plastic samples

    Cryomill (Cryogenic Mixer Mill CryoMill, Retsch GmbH, Germany)

    • laboratory ball mill with cooling system that results in high grinding efficiency for multiple sample types, including plastic.
    • creates uniform, small particle sized samples

    SEM

    • can provide detailed high-resolution images of various sample types

    UFO (explicit: AAU design)

    • created by Jes Vollertsen,  Lasse Rasmussen, Lemvig Vand, the Laboratory for Microplastics and Linda Männisalu
    • universal filtering objects: able to filter and identify microplastics and fibres in surface water through a triple filtering system.