 Hello, I'm Julia Barken, Head of Laboratory Facilities at Open University in Milton Keynes. The OU has well-equipped research facilities supported by dedicated registered scientists and technicians. Our core capabilities lie in the analytical techniques that underpin material engineering, physical sciences, environment, earth and ecosystem sciences and life, health and chemical sciences. When not in use, our facilities and our technical support are available to provide a full service to organisations in both the public and private sector. Our key facilities include the electron microscopy suite, which has the capability to analyse everything from brain tissue to rocks. In addition to transmission and scanning electron microscopy, the Open University EM team are world leaders in 3D reconstruction electron microscopy. In our geochemistry laboratories we can offer chemical analysis by laser ablation ICP-MS to determine a large number of trace elements. Sample preparation is supported by geochemistry clean rooms and a thin section laboratory. We can process materials ranging from pottery to rocks and meteorite samples. The ecosystems laboratories offer controlled environment chambers and bespoke biodegradability testing apparatus with the capability to analyse a range of environmental samples. The stable isotope geochemistry laboratory offers isotopic carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen analysis of various organic and carbonate terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples. Arkamica nanosim secondary ion mass spectrometer is one of the only three in the UK, allowing high sensitivity compositional analysis of up to seven species, elements, molecules and isotopes simultaneously. The NMR analyses samples of organic compounds in solution to confirm the presence of and to quantify no molecules to help in the identification of unknown molecules either by comparing to existing spectra or by elucidating the chemical structure directly using different complementary NMR experiments. In addition to our research facilities we have on-campus teaching labs which can accommodate up to 30 students and are fully equipped to teach practical laboratory skills. The laboratories are available to hire for use in training courses. A full list of our facilities and equipment can be found on the Open University Kit catalogue. Please do feel free to contact us if we can accommodate any of your analytical requirements.