EQUIPMENT AND
FACILITIES
The
department is well equipped and has a full complement of general equipment for
laboratory and field studies. Our
location within the
Departmental
Research Equipment
Animal Biology:
Equipment
for research in aquatic biology including culture and constant temperature rooms, standard and inverted research
microscopes, electrophysiology, sensory physiology and ultramicrotomy,
infra-red viewers. An extensive array of
sound and video equipment is available for studies in Animal Behaviour.
Animal Physiology: Animal
facilities, equipment for electrophysiology, sensory physiology, general
physiological recording and the analysis of cellular macromolecules (including
FPLC).
Biochemistry: Equipment
for the purification and characterization of macromolecules. Through the Thermophile Research Unit staff and students have access to
equipment for the assay and large scale processing and purification of enzymes
using FPLC, HPLC, and amino acid analysis.
Freshwater & Marine Ecology: Marine
and freshwater circulation systems for maintenance of animal specimens
including 7.5 x 0.5 x 0.5m and 2 x 0.16
x 0.16m (LxWxD) recirculating
flumes, digital video camera and recorder and a Sontek
ADV velocity sensor. Boats and trailers,
nets, electric fishing equipment, and traps for sampling fish and
plankton. Range of
water quality meters. Full range of diving equipment.
Genetics: Equipment
for isozyme and RAPD analysis, PCR facilities and
automatic DNA sequencing and (ABI 377), computer software for genetic analysis,
and equipment and biological resources for recombinant DNA techniques and plant
transformation.
Microbiology: Equipment
for the growth and analysis of micro-organisms including a 600 litre fermenter and associated
harvesting equipment, a Varian GC with FPD detector for the analysis of organic
and volatile sulphur compounds and HPLC for the
analysis of sugars and organic fermentation products. Facilities for cultivating
anaerobic bacteria.
Plant Biology
and Physiology: Glasshouse facilities,
a mass spectrometer, automated nitrogen
fixation and several gas exchange systems (LiCor, Walz CMS 400, Ciras, ADC), with
associated ecophysiology equipment including Campbell
data loggers, field-portable spectroradiometer,
steady-state leaf porometer and pressure bomb.
Population Genetics & Systematics: The Pacific
Biosystematics Research Laboratory has complete facilities for protein
electrophoresis, PCR-based analyses, Stratagene Eagle
Eye II gel documentation, DNA sequencing, microsatellite
development, and phylogenetic analyses.
Wetland
and
Stable Isotope Analysis: The
Waikato Stable Isotope Unit houses a Europa
Scientific 20/20 mass spectrometer for analysing
stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen.
This unit is run by experienced, full-time staff dedicated to the unit.
General
facilities available to staff and students include fully staffed electrical,
carpentry, mechanical, electronics and glassblowing workshops. Chemical and dangerous goods stores, and full
back-up computing services facilities, networked mainframe and numerous
stand-alone computers, a fully staffed 14C dating laboratory, a
liquid nitrogen facility, on-tap ultra high pure water facility, X-ray
fluorescence, climate chambers, jet boat and drilling rig, liquid scintillation
counters, staffed radiochemistry laboratory, and a new NMR facility. Two computer laboratories
and computing, statistical and mathematical facilities.
Joint
University/Research Institution Facilities
Staff and
students in the Department have access to a fully staffed electron microscopy
facility which offers both TEM and SEM services. Access to equipment and facilities of the
following research units is also available:
Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Centre
Antarctic
Research Unit - with fully stocked store of cold-weather gear and equipment
CBER - Centre
for Biodiversity and Ecology Research
Geochronology
Research Unit
Honey
Research Unit
Pacific
Biosystematics Research Laboratory
Thermophile
& Microbial Biochemistry & Biotechnology Unit
Water
Research Unit