A multi-instrument analytical resource serving Alaska and beyond
Welcome
The Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is a multi-instrument resource for the state of Alaska. It specializes in surface and elemental analysis as well as electron microscopy. In addition to the instrumentation it also houses support sample preparation facilities. AIL is located on the UAF campus in the Reichardt Building. For analysis requests, please email uaf-ail@alaska.edu
Get in Touch:Dr. Nathan (Nate) Graham (Director) Email: nagraham2@alaska.edu See Contact page for more details |
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- About Us
Mission Statement, June, 2000
The Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory is a multi-instrument resource for the state of Alaska. It specializes in surface and elemental analysis as well as electron microscopy. It supports and trains undergraduate and graduate students and provides technical support and facilities to researchers as well as local, state, federal, and private agencies.
Map of Alaska with locations that have been served by AIL supported research, spanning the whole state, including Arctic research in fisheries, marine biology, mineral resources, and distal volcanic ash studies. For example, AIL is instrumental in science- driven management of the Copper River Salmon fishery. AIL’s research support also extends beyond Alaska, serving research nationally and internationally. Comments from the emeritus director:
"AIL offers scientific services to the University and beyond."
This simple statement embodies a great deal.
I see AIL’s most valuable contribution to UAF as providing a facility where students can generate data for their work. This contributes greatly to their education, for this process reveals to them the value, and the limitations of any data. As they generate their data, these students also conduct research. This in turn benefits the research community at large and UAF in particular.
AIL’s instruments offer great opportunities for experimentation and innovation as befitting their presence at a research university. This is not to say that the equipment cannot be used for “routine measurements,” which it often is. But it is my goal to encourage and facilitate researchers in exploiting the full potential of all AIL’s instruments. I hope that faculty, staff, and scientists from outside UAF will take advantage of these opportunities. Sometimes clients do not know what method of analysis will help them solve a problem. Unlike many commercial laboratories, we can assist them in identifying or even developing the best method. At the moment AIL is not in the position to perform the next step in that process, i.e., analyzing vast numbers of samples, which can be done in a commercial lab. If you have questions, please contact us.
AIL is an exciting facility that exposes people, particularly young people, to science. We frequently give tours to primary and secondary students, as well as to various universities and other groups. If you are interested in a tour please contact us.
Dr. Ken Severin (Emeritus Director), March 2007
- Facilities
- Services and Rates
Rates listed here are basic rates for projects funded through UAF and are subject to change on an annual basis. The rates listed below are current as of July 2026.
Surcharges: Projects that are not funded through UAF are subject to an approximately 38.5% OSA surcharge (see the UAF Office of Sponsored Programs for current rates) because of Federal regulations.
If an experiment requires additional consumables, such as grinding agents for XRF pellets, epoxy mounting materials, coating supplies, or other expendable materials, an additional cost-plus charge may be applied unless the necessary supplies are provided by the user.
Instrument time and operator/technician time are billed separately, as many instruments can run unattended for multiple hours.
JEOL JXA-8530F Electron Microprobe
Typical analyses take 2-5 minutes per point depending on the number of analyzed elements and detection limit required. Calibration of the instrument typically takes one to two hours, often longer for volcanic glasses.
FEI Quanta 200 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope
Panalytical MRD X-Ray Diffraction
Typical XRD analysis, including full Rietveld refinement and report, is approximately $300 per sample for outside clients.
Panalytical Axios X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
Typical XRF analysis is approximately $80 per sample, or approximately $150 per sample if prepared by AIL staff.
Renishaw inVia Qontor Raman Spectrometer
Bulk Instrument Discount
Technician Assistance
Non-UA Project Surcharge
Typical Sample Preparation and Analysis Costs
Developmental Rates
Several instruments include developmental rates. AIL recognizes that its instrumentation can support analyses beyond those currently performed on a routine basis. The developmental rate allows users to test and develop new analytical methods at a reduced rate. In return, users are encouraged to provide AIL with a concise document, SOP, or method summary describing the developed procedure so that future users may benefit from the method. Instrument time and operator time are billed separately as many of our instruments can run unattended for multiple hours.
Sample Preparation Facilities
AIL has equipment available for preparing samples for analysis. These facilities include equipment for:
- Geologic thin section preparation
- Grain mount preparation
- Sample pulverizing
- Briquetting and fusion
- Iridium or carbon coating
For more details on sample preparation facilities at the AIL, see Sample Preparation Equipment page. Additional consumable charges may apply depending on the sample preparation requirements.
Training
Training can be provided to the level required for the user’s experiment at the listed hourly rates. Training for the microprobe and XRFs can also be obtained through GEOS 600. Training for the ESEM can be obtained through GEOS 428/628.
AIL generally encourages users to operate instruments themselves after appropriate training because:
- Users often know best what results are needed for their research.
- Self-operation can reduce project cost by avoiding operator or technician assistance charges.
- Acknowledgement Requirements
Please credit AIL in your talks and posters by using our logo. We would appreciate a reference for any presentation or publication that uses data you gathered at AIL. Searchable references help us with our impact metrics, which helps us to better serve the community.
When work is conducted at AIL and is published in theses, dissertations, journals, books, conference proceedings, or other printed technical media, the following acknowledgment statement should be included in the manuscript:
[Portions of this work were]/[This work was] performed at the Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory (AIL), University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Please send a copy of each published manuscript or citation to AIL:
Several of our instruments were purchased with funds from granting agencies that have specific acknowledgement requirements as listed below.
ESEM
The ESEM was purchased with funds from BLaST. If you use data and/or images from the ESEM in any publication, poster, or other presentation (talks, news releases, interviews, articles, and internet-based communications), you should include the following acknowledgement:
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers UL1GM118991, TL4GM118992, or RL5GM118990. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
EPMA and XRD
The EPMA and XRD were purchased with funds from NSF. If you use data and/or images from the EPMA and/or XRD in any publication, poster, or other presentation (talks, news releases, interviews, articles, and internet-based communications), you should include the appropriate acknowledgement:
The authors gratefully acknowledge use of the UAF-AIL electron microprobe acquired with support from the National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation Program Award Number 1126898.
The authors gratefully acknowledge use of the UAF-AIL XRD acquired with support from the National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation Program Award Number 0723244.If you are acknowledging the use of the probe or XRD, please read the following:
Except for articles or papers published in scientific, technical or professional journals, the following disclaimer must be included:
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Renishaw Raman Spectrometer
Scientific Research that utilize the Raman system at UAF are encouraged to acknowledge the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust's support in publications, presentations, and other materials by including a statement such as:
The acquisition of the Renishaw Raman system used in this study was supported by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
Presentations may use the Murdock Trust logo (in alignment with stated guidelines) instead of a written statement. https://murdocktrust.org/grant-publicity
- Research at AIL
These are some of the publications and student research that include data collected in AIL - if your publication or project is not included here, but should be, please send the relevant information to us at uaf-ail@alaska.edu.
- People
Dr. Nathan (Nate) Graham (AIL Director): Nate’s background is in geology and analytical chemistry, he received his bachelors of science from Humboldt State University, CA in 2015 and moved to Fairbanks, AK to pursue a PhD in Volcanology in 2016. During his PhD he worked closely with the AIL for his own research, and in assisting Emeritus Director Ken Severin in day-to-day operation of the facility. He also worked closely with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, conducting remote field work in the Western Aleutian Islands and the Cook Inlet regions of Alaska. His research stems from mantle melt source geochemistry to permeable gas dynamics in shallowly stored magmas through the use of experimental petrology and analytical geochemistry. Nate took over as director of the AIL in 2024. Dr. Ken Severin (Director Emeritus): He started out as a micropaleontologist (both large and small foraminifera) and moved into the analysis and interpretation of elemental signatures in otoliths (fish ear bones). He has collaborated on projects from ice crystals to moose teeth to volcanic rocks, and is currently examining the atomic structure of otoliths with an eye toward getting at the causality behind the elemental patterns they contain. Ken specializes in X-ray Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy techniques.
Dr. Asad Hassan Syed (Post Doctoral Fellow): He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering, along with an M.Sc. and B.E. in Petroleum Engineering and an MBA in Finance. His background spans geoscience, laboratory research, rock and material characterization, porous media, and fluid-rock interactions. His research includes critical minerals, enhanced oil recovery, subsurface carbon, and hydrogen storage in geological formations. At AIL, he contributes to interdisciplinary research, analytical laboratory activities, data management, technical documentation, and the development of laboratory services. AIL Student Assistants
Sarah Finney (Graduate Student/Research Assistant)
Serena Fessenden (Undergraduate Assistant)
Kylie (Ky) Nash (Undergraduate Assistant)
GI Business Office: Invoicing is generally done by the AIL staff, but direct billing is done through the Geophysical Institute Billing Office (GIBO). If you need to contact them directly, please email uaf.gibo@alaska.edu or call 907-474-7632.
Mission Statement of the AIL Advisory Committee
AILAC assists the AIL Director in sustaining AIL’s ambition to provide analytical resources and training for the UAF and Alaskan communities.
Members of AIL-AC
Sean Regan, Chair
Geophysical Institute
Associate Professor of Tectonics and Sedimentation
UAF Department of GeosciencesJessica F. Larsen
Geophysical InstituteProfessor of Volcanology
UAF Department of GeosciencesTom Trainor
Professor of Chemistry
UAF Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryPavel Izbekov
Geophysical Institute
Research Associate ProfessorAlaska Volcano Observatory
Marisa Acosta
Geophysical Institute
Assistant Professor of Economic GeologyUAF Department of Geosciences
Florian Hofmann
Geophysical InstituteResearch Associate Professor
Manager of the UAF Geochronology LaboratoryPiper Kramer
Institute of Northern Engineering
Research Technician (ICP-MS Specialist)INE Critical Minerals Lab
For more information about the AIL-AC, please contact the AIL Manager Nathan Graham at nagraham2@alaska.edu.
- Links & Goodies
AIL related courses and syllabi
Downloadable files
External links
- Contact
Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory
For sample submission inquiries:
E-mail: uaf-ail@alaska.edu
or
For additional questions or to generate a quote please contact:
Dr. Nathan Graham, Director
E-mail: nagraham2@alaska.edu
Phone: 907-474-7141
Office: Reichardt 342Mailing Address:
Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory
University of Alaska Fairbanks
P.O. Box 755780
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5780Shipping Address:
Room 308 Reichardt Building
1930 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775
USATo inquire about data generated at the AIL prior to 2024, please contact:
Dr. Ken Severin (Director Emeritus)
Email: kpseverin@alaska.edu
- Scheduling
AIL Calendars
Please use the google calendars below for instrument scheduling. Please contact uaf-ail@alaska.edu for scheduling permission.
- Sample Submission Instructions
Submit Samples to AIL
Complete the Sample Submission Request Form and receive approval from AIL before shipping or delivering samples. Submission does not automatically confirm acceptance, instrument availability, final cost, or turnaround time.
Download submission form Email AIL Step-by-step Guidance
Sample preparation and delivery instructionsFollow these steps to protect sample integrity and prevent delays during technical review and receipt.
What Happens Next
Submission workflow
Contact and Delivery
Where to send the form and samples
Common Questions
Sample Submission FAQ- Can I ship samples before receiving an AIL Request ID?
No. Submit the request form first and wait until AIL confirms acceptance and provides an AIL Request ID.
- What documents should accompany the shipment?
Include the approved request, sample inventory, chain-of-custody record when required, applicable Safety Data Sheets, and any maps, photographs, methods, billing documents, or special handling instructions.
- Can I pay by credit card?
Yes. Credit-card payments can be made through AIL’s secure online payment page after technical review, acceptance, and confirmation of the applicable charges. Do not include credit-card information on the sample submission form.
- What should I do with hazardous or unknown samples?
Disclose all known or suspected hazards and contact AIL before sending radioactive/NORM, asbestos, biological, reactive, pressurized, unknown, or unusually hazardous materials.
Ready to submit a request?
Download the current form, complete the required sections, and email it to AIL for review.
Download submission form Email AIL - Payment
Invoice Payments
Invoicing is generally done by the AIL staff, but direct billing is done through the Geophysical Institute Billing Office (GIBO). If you need to contact them directly, please email uaf.gibo@alaska.edu or call 907-474-7632.
If your invoice will be charged to a grant/account already within the UA system, please provide the Fund-Org information on the sample intake form upon request. An invoice summarizing the conducted work and individual charges will be sent to you and you will be notified prior to charging the account.
If you require a PO for billing purposes, please indicate that on the sample intake form and AIL staff will coordinate with the GI Billing Office to process your request.
Payment by Credit Card
Customers who have received an AIL invoice and would like to pay by credit card may use the University of Alaska online payment portal.
Pay an AIL Invoice by Credit Card
Please have your AIL invoice number and payment information available. For questions regarding an invoice or other payment methods, contact AIL before submitting payment.
AIL News & Updates
Stay informed about announcements, laboratory capabilities, instrument availability, training opportunities, scheduled maintenance, research highlights, and upcoming events at the Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory.
Use this page to find important operational notices and learn about new developments at AIL.