Science facilities

Laboratories, support facilities and other equipment at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

NRM has a high quality infrastructure that is well suited to support research on materials in its collections and its current research programmes in related areas. This research infrastructure is supported by an excellent technical and computing staff.

Laboratory of Molecular Systematics DNA analysis

NRM has a modern, fully equipped molecular laboratory with state of the art facilities for preparation of DNA, PCR, cloning, DNA sequencing and fragment analysis.

State of the art facilities for handling of zoological specimens

NRM is well equiped for physical investigations of animals. The facilities include a X-ray equipment for large animals, a modern autopsy room, a fish preparation laboratory, and digital image analysis equipment.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

NRM has a energy-filtered TEM, LEO 912 AB, with a OMEGA spectrometer and a fully equipped preparation laboratory for dehydration, embedding, sectioning, and staining.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

NRM has a computer controlled high resolution field emission scanning electron microscope, Hitachi S-4300 (installed 2001) which produces exceptional images at both normal and low operating voltages. It also has advanced analytical equipment.

Isotope geochemical analysis

The Department of Geosciences has facilities and procedures for high precision analysis and microanalysis of isotopic compositions of rocks, minerals and aqueous samples. LIG is equipped with one thermal ionisation mass spectrometers (Thermo Triton) and one inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer with multiple collection (Isoprobe). Equipment for rock crushing, mineral separation and dissolution and a clean laboratory for chemical separations are also available.

Find out more: Instruments and equipment at Geosciences

NORDSIM ion microprobe laboratory

NORDSIM is a joint Nordic secondary ionisation mass spectrometry facility at NRM for geological research, based around a high-resolution high-sensitivity CAMECA ims 1280 ion microprobe. This instrument is specially developed for in situ isotopic and elemental microscale analysis of geological materials.

Find our more: NORDSIM

Vegacenter for microanalysis

The Vegacenter for microanalysis is a new national analytical center at the Department of Geosciences of the Swedish Museum of Natural History which opened in 2015.

The Vegacenter is equipped with two new ICP mass spectrometers, one mainly for elemental analysis, the other for precise isotopic analyses.These instruments are connected to equipment for laser ablation of mineral samples, and to a gas chromatograph for compound-specific isotope analysis of organic compounds.

Find out more: Vegacenter

Facilities for mineralogical research

The instrumentation includes UV-Vis (Zeiss MPM 800) and FTIR (Bruker Equinox 55) spectrometers equipped with microscopes, a 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometer with LN2-cryostat, and gas-flow furnaces for mineral syntheses.

Find out more: Instruments and equipment at Geosciences