Contact

The Stable Isotope Facility (SIF) will be closing, effective July 26, 2026.

June 3, 2026
An Update on the Plant Sciences Stable Isotope Facility

Dear Faculty, Staff, Students, and Supporters,
After a lengthy review process and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to sunset the Stable Isotope Facility (SIF) in its current form, effective July 26, 2026.

The Department of Plant Sciences continues to face hard decisions surrounding funding allocation given the campus-wide request to reduce budgets. Over the past several years SIF has been operating with a significant and growing deficit and, despite extensive efforts over the last several months to find a solution that would allow the facility to continue to provide services to the research community, we have not found a model that is financially sustainable.

I want to thank SIF’s staff for their excellent work and dedication these past 25 years, and everyone who has played a role in supporting this facility.

We are committed to doing our best to support the researchers who rely on the facility during this transition, and will be in touch with individual clients about details of specific plans for handling existing orders over the next several weeks.

Sincerely,
Daniel Potter
Professor and Chair, Department of Plant Sciences
University of California, Davis

Original Letter

Returning SIF Samples (Facility closes July 26, 2026)

Dear Valued Client,

After a lengthy review process and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to sunset the Stable Isotope Facility (SIF) in its current form, effective July 26, 2026.

The Department of Plant Sciences continues to face hard decisions surrounding funding allocation given the campus-wide request to reduce budgets. Over the past several years, SIF has been operating with a significant and growing deficit and, despite extensive efforts over the last several months to find a solution that would allow the facility to continue to provide services to the research community, we have not found a model that is financially sustainable.

We regret to inform you that SIF staff will be unable to process your submitted samples before the facility's closure date. As a result, we would like to offer the option of returning your samples. If you would like your samples returned, please submit the request via return form on the SIF website. If you do not wish to have the samples returned, please notify us, and we will arrange for their appropriate disposal in accordance with established protocols.

We sincerely appreciate your support of the Stable Isotope Facility and the opportunity to have served your research needs.

Sincerely,
Daniel Potter
Professor and Chair, Department of Plant Sciences
University of California, Davis

Contact the Stable Isotope Facility

General Questions:
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-530-752-8100

Facility Location:
Plant & Environmental Sciences Bldg.

Rooms 2251, 2255, 3112, 3116

• Do not ship samples until you have submitted your completed Analysis Order Form and Sample List to [email protected], and received a confirmation from a SIF staff or faculty. Operational status may change at any time.

• Perishable shipments must be shipped in an insulated cooler, with sufficient coolant and cushioning, and shipped expedited on a Monday or Tuesday to minimize delays with receipt and refrigeration.

• Ship samples with tracking (e.x. FedEx, UPS, or standard post with tracking) because carriers are experiencing periodic weather, fire, and COVID-19 related delays.

Shipping address depends on the carrier *
Default Shipping Address for UPS, DHL, Standard Post, and International Post	Shipping Address for FedEx
ATTN: Chris Yarnes (ph: 530-752-8100) UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility Dept of Plant Sciences, Mailroom 1210 PES One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 USA [email protected]	ATTN: Chris Yarnes (ph: 530-752-8100) UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility Dept of Plant Sciences 387 N Quad Ave., Mailroom 1210 PES Davis, CA 95616 USA [email protected]
Standard Post - Is received by UC Davis Mail Division for sorting. Mail Division then delivers to the department on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays Only. (Under reduced COVID-19 closure, mail delivery may be reduced further without notice) UPS, DHL - Delivers on Monday - Friday 9am-4pm. No Deliveries on weekends or campus holidays (During the COVID-19 closure, our building admin. will only receive shipments between 9am-3pm.)	Deliveries on Monday - Friday 9am-4pm (Under reduced COVID-19 staffing, our building admin. will only receive shipments between 9am-3pm.) No Deliveries on weekends or campus holidays