A MAJOR investment at the chemistry department of Virginia Tech will see several new Agilent instruments being installed in the university’s undergraduate teaching laboratories.
Among the new tools are seven Agilent 5975C gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) systems, six 240FS atomic absorption spectrometry systems, and a 6100 series single quadrupole liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry system. These, plus a Cary Eclipse fluorescence spectrophotometer and a Cary 100 UV/Vis spectrophotometer, will be available to the roughly 7000 students each year that study chemistry at Virginia Tech.
“This will enhance the undergraduate laboratory experience for students enrolled in chemistry classes, both majors and non-majors”, said professor Jim Tanko, chair of the department. “Virginia Tech provides tate-of- the-art facilities in support of undergraduate education [and] we are particularly excited that general chemistry labs for freshmen have been equipped with GC/MS equipment. We believe Virginia Tech is the first in the USA to offer this”.
“Agilent is excited to be a part of this project,” said Bob Walker, Agilent regional manager. “Virginia Tech’s chemistry department is transforming science education by bringing students in contact with modern, industry-standard technology early in their academic experience. Also, thanks to Agilent’s expanded portfolio, customers can now fully equip their laboratories with a complete suite of analytical tools from a single vendor and receive world-class products and support.”