Equipment
Equipment Used by the Seifert Research Group
The research group uses handheld analytical devices to enable rapid,non-destructive, and flexible analysis of biological samples. These instruments provide an analytical fingerprint of the sample's chemical composition, which is evaluated using chemometric methods. The current focus is on vibrational spectroscopic methods, particularly infrared and Raman spectroscopy.
Our Research Projects in Detail
NIR Spectroscopy
In near-infrared spectroscopy, samples are irradiated with light within the wavelength range of 800 and 2500 nm. This light is absorbed through the excitation of harmonic and combination vibrations of molecular bonds, enabling the analysis of constituents such as water, fat, proteins and sugar.
MicroNIR OnSite-W NIR-Spectrometer
| Manufacturer | Viavi |
| Resolution | approx. 1% relative to the average wavelength |
| Spectral range | 950 – 1.650 nm (= 10.526 – 6.060 cm-1) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) | 1 : 23.000 |
PAL OneNIR-spectrometer
| Manufacturer | TrinamiX, a BASF brand |
| Resolution | 1% of the wavelength |
| Spectral range | 1450 – 2450 nm |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) | > 1 : 5000 |
SenoCorder
| Manufacturer | Senorics |
| Resolution | 67 nm |
| Spectral range | 1.200 – 1.700 nm |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) | low |
Raman Spectroscopy
In Raman spectroscopy, samples are irradiated with monochromatic laser light. Some of this light is scattered, with a small portion exciting the molecules in the sample to vibrate. These vibrations can be detected based on the difference in energy between the incident light and the inelastically scattered light.
Bravo Raman spectrometer
| Manufacturer | BRUKER |
| Resolution | 10 to 12 cm⁻¹ |
| Spectral range | 300 cm⁻¹ to 3200 cm⁻¹ |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) | high |
Grinding Mills
We use special knife mills to grind samples prior to measurement. This allows even moist, greasy, or fibrous materials to be processed so they can be used in our analyses.
Retsch GM 200
The Retsch GM 200 can grind up to 700 ml.
Retsch GM 300
This larger grinding mill has a capacity of up to 4.5 liters.
