SIF Newsletter - November 2022

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

SIF Newsletter - November 2022

  • by Christopher Todd Yarnes

UCD Stable Isotope Facility - November 2022 Newsletter

Greetings from Northern California! 

Fall has finally brought cooler temperatures to northern California, after an intensely hot end to summer.  The days are now shorter and darker, as we settle in and hope for an extended season of cool and wet weather. The SIF has some news to share as we approach the upcoming holidays. 

Holiday Schedules 

The upcoming holidays will interrupt mail and invoicing services. The SIF will not receive shipments on the following dates: 

  • Veteran’s Day November 11, 2022 
  • Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, November 24 - 27, 2022 Please coordinate shipments to arrive no later than Tuesday, November 22, as mail service Wednesday November 23 will be significantly reduced. 
  • Winter Break December 22, 2022 - January 2, 2023 Mail delivery and staffing will be significantly reduced the last week of December. 

All major mail carriers will redeliver when campus reopens on the next business day.  

Personnel Changes 

Emily Ngo Schick, who has been a most valuable member of the SIF since 2000, now brings her extensive experience into a leadership role as the new supervisor for solid CN analysis.  Please be sure to direct all your solid CN sample questions to her. 

The SIF is currently in the process of filling the vacant Lab Assistant and Staff Research Associate positions.  Once filled, our facility will finally be fully staffed again and ready to process your samples in a more timely manner. 

New Rates 

The SIF has completed its rate review process and, due to a host of agreements that led to a reduction in operating expenses, we are happy to announce that most sample rates have been modestly reduced. These new rates will be effective immediately. You will find updated rates on our website. 

PPMS Updates Order and Invoice Management 

The SIF now uses Stratocore PPMS (a management software system) to accept and track orders, as well as budgetary estimates, invoicing, and payment. This will greatly improve our ability to serve you and improve your sample submission and payment experience. Our website’s Billing and Sample Submission webpages reflect these changes. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or issues you might have. 

We would like to thank everyone who has followed our revised sample submission instructions. Please continue to email your completed PPMS Order Form and Sample List to [email protected] and wait for an SIF staff member to review and provide additional shipping advice. If you do not receive a reply within 2 business days, please send a reminder email, as we are experiencing a high volume of emails.  

Also, please be timely in processing your PPMS estimate requests and contact [email protected] with any funding/invoice deadlines early, as we are receiving a high volume of those requests as well. 

New Instruments  

A new Elementar Cube (EA) system was installed and interfaced with a Sercon 2022 IRMS to assist with solid C, N, and S sample analysis. 

A new Thermo Fisher-Scientific Delta V Advantage IRMS with a GasBench II was installed to replace an older Thermo Delta Plus XL IRMS with GasBench II for CO2, carbonate, DIC, and water sample analysis.   

An Elementar precisION IRMS with a GreenHouse-Gas (GHG) device was installed to replace an older Sercon 2020 IRMS with Cryoprep device for N2-N2O sample analysis.   

In the coming months, we will be installing a Thermo TC/EA (pyrolysis) device and a Eurovector UniPrep autosampler to analyze solid H and O samples containing exchangeable hydrogen via the dual-equilibration method. 

Turnaround Times  

Staffing shortages since the beginning of the pandemic have seriously impacted our ability to provide clients with competitive turnaround times on some analyses. Additionally, as researchers returned to their laboratories following initial closures, we were flooded with a surge in sample submissions, but lacked the personnel to adequately meet the demand. With the purchase of new instrumentation, and the recent filling of vacated staff positions, we are confident we can meet (and hopefully surpass) your expectations to receive quality data in reasonable time frame moving forward. 

DOC on Pause 

In 2021, we decommissioned our O.I. Analytical TOC analyzer due to unsustainable maintenance and operating costs. This has put d13C-DOC analysis on hold until a new method could be tested and adopted by our facility. Unfortunately, due to the analytical demands and staffing shortages mentioned above, very little staff time has been available to complete this task. Now that we are fully staffed, it is our intention to complete validation of a new technique for d13C-DOC in the coming months. 

Closing Remarks  

What to say? 2022 at the SIF has seen another measured step in the transition to our “new normal” as a core service facility, with the difficulties of navigating the other side of the pandemic slowly beginning to ease. And, while it’s clear we won’t get our pre-pandemic routines back, we’ve also learned that this time has brought us valuable room for reflection and growth. As we head into the year-end holidays, please know that we sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work with all of you and will strive to improve our service to the stable isotope community in 2023, and beyond.  

From myself, and everyone at the SIF – Happy Holidays! 

Chris Yarnes, Director