Infrastructure support for the laboratories of EMBRAPA Instrumentation

• Grant number: 13/17818-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Technical Reserve for Institutional Research Infrastructure
• Duration: September 01, 2013 - August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: João de Mendonça Naime
• Grantee: João de Mendonça Naime
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Embrapa Instrumentation is a nationwide thematic research center whose research team is composed of 30 doctors that supervise around 150 researchers varying from graduation to postdoc level. The Center is leading two national research networks, one network theme is nanotechnology and the other is precision agriculture. The other main research areas of the Center are management and conservation of soil and water, postharvest, agroenergy and environment. In terms of infrastructure, two buildings are located in a downtown address and other building, National Reference Laboratory for Precision Agriculture (Lanapre), in the experimental field located in the farm of Embrapa Southeast Cattle, 9 km away from the other site. A wide variety of laboratories which frequently have been used by projects financed by FAPESP and applies techniques from Physics, Chemistry, Agronomy and different Engineering areas in order to develop methodologies and equipments which explore materials and great part of electromagnetic waves spectra, since the radio-frequency of the NMR pulses to ionizing radiations of X and gamma rays tomography, passing by infrared, lasers, photothermal and photoacoustic and by ultraviolet. The Center has the following labs: Nanotechnology (material processing, synthesis, characterization, sensors and biosensors); Optics and Photonics; Nuclear techniques; NMR; Photoacustic and photothermal; Post-harvest; Image and modeling; Electronics; Precision mechanics; Biological samples; Rubber technology; Microscopies (AFM and SEM); Agroenergy. The following is the list of equipments that demand installation of special gases: liquid and gas chromatographs; mass spectrometer; elemental analyzer CHN/CHNS; atomic absorption; infrared spectrometer; atomic force microscope; viscometer; rotational rheometer; torque rheometer; extruder; machine for film production Mathis; mechanical test machine; deionizer; sputter coater; electronic nose; differential exploratory calorimeter; reactor lift; bioreactor; spin coating; superficial area analyzer; etc. Today these equipments are temporarily installed with some gas cylinders located in the interior of the labs. The area of the laboratories that demands proper installation of gas lines is 2,011 m2. [...] Therefore, the objective of this project is to raise funds to hire the design of project of special gases line of Embrapa Instrumentation according to the specific standards. (AU)