ISOCOMPOUND ‘09

Advances in analyses and applications of compound-specific stable isotopes in ecology, ecosystem- and earth sciences

A meeting funded by the ESF network MOLTER and NSF network BASIN

1-5 June 2009

Potsdam, Germany

S C O P E

ISOCOMPOUND’09 is a conference due to take place June 1-5, 2009 under the theme of recent advances in the analyses and application of compound-specific stable isotope data across various disciplines in the area of ecology, and earth and ecosystem sciences.

Analytical advances in the measurement of stable isotope ratios on individual organic compounds provide a new set of tools for ecology, ecosystem- and earth sciences where the molecular specificity and the isotopic signature of compounds can be explored concomitantly. The scope of applications is enormous. It will not only provide new levels of precision for the biochemical understanding of bulk sample stable isotope signals but will also allow for new mechanistic research directions in ecology, and earth and ecosystem sciences.

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has become a somewhat established method in the field of organic geochemistry. Adoption of the approach to other related fields of environmental science is, however, surprisingly slow, possibly due to the unfamiliarity of scientists with the molecular techniques that underlie CSIA. Given the enormous potential of CSIA we believe it is the right time to assemble scientists with strong interests in CSIA in a multi day workshop that would allow the discussion of recent developments and future applications of CSIA in ecology, and earth and ecosystem sciences.

Bringing together the scientific communities form different fields is critical at this point to exchange expertise on the advances in CSIA across scientific disciplines and to stimulate new and interdisciplinary research and therefore allow exploiting the full power of CSIA for ecology, and earth and ecosystem sciences.