DEVELOPPING PORTABLE METHODS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSES IN FIELD CONDITIONS
Since 2017 I have been helping to develop a methodology for the use of the PerkinElmer Torion® portable gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) in the field. This miniaturized GC-MS instrument was originally developed for screening specific volatiles in the fields of environmental science, food manufacturing and chemical warfare, but could prove useful to examine in situ wild animal scents.
Our applications have so far included:
- Differentiating volatile organic compounds from scent-gland secretions of wild callitrichids
- Investigating chemical cues of estrous in female mouse urine
- Exploring changes in tropical fruit odor in relation to their coloration and ripeness, and their use as primate food resource