Facilities

We have capabilities for light hydrocarbon (CH4, C2H2, C2H4 etc) analysis by gas chromatography, flurometric analysis of chlorophyll and ammonium (Turner Trilogy), and fixed wavelength and scanning UV-vis spectroscopy (Shimadzu).

Equipped for plankton culture maintenance (light- and temperature-controlled incubators, microscopes), molecular population genetics (thermal cyclers, sonicator, Qubit fluorometer, UV/Vis spectrophotometer, water baths, gel documentation system) and genomic analyses (Linux server, CLC Genomics Workbench).

Walk-in controlled environmental chamber (4-40 C, humidity controlled), Olympus epifluorescence microscope (150W Xenon lamp, UV to IR fluorescence cubes), Stratagene Real Time PCR, 2 BioRad PCR cyclers, BioRad electrophoresis systems including pulsed-field gel with chiller bath, Gel documentation station, UV cross linker, hybridization oven, Type II Biosafety hood, Speedvac, 4 -80C ultracold freezers, 3 shaking incubators, Miele dishwasher, 4 10-place filtration manifolds, 8 vacuum/pressure pumps, Masterflex peristaltic pumps, oceanographic sampling bottles, refurbished (2012) Profiling Natural Fluorometer, pressure filtration vessels (2×20 and 40 liter), 6×142 mm stainless filter holders, 2 teflon 142 mm filter holders, refrigerated high speed centrifuges (2 floor units and 2 benchtops, each with several rotors), 3 refrigerated/heated circulating baths, diamond knife for TEM thin section preparations. We have 2 dedicated (our lab) computer servers for bioinformatics (e.g. metagenomic assembly), with 1 TB RAM and 120 processors, purchased in 2014 and 2020.

Laboratory. Dr. Thrash's laboratory (1500 sq. feet) is located in the Allan Hancock Foundation building at the University of Southern California. The lab is equipped for large-scale water collection and transport with 1-20 L polycarbonate carboys, filtration equipment (Cole-Parmer Masterflex I/P peristaltic pump; 142 mm, 55 mm, 47 mm, and 25 mm filter assemblies; Millipore Pellicon tangential flow filtration assembly; tubing), a -20˚C and -80˚C freezer, a refrigerator, 6 dry incubators, portable cold incubators, complete molecular biology facilities for nucleic acid extraction and PCR (bead-beater, vortexes, dry baths, water baths, thermal cyclers and BioRad GelDoc EZ Imager, gel trays and power supplies, Life Technologies Qubit Fluorometer, Eppendorf refrigerated and unrefrigerated microcentrifuges and benchtop hanging bucket centrifuge), 24" AirClean portable laminar flow workstation, portable cold incubators, a PreSens optode system, vacuum pump, fume hood, Millipore Milli-Q water purification system, a full suite of chemical stocks, balances, and a pH meter.

Cultivation Infrastructure. The Thrash Lab has a dedicated cultivation room containing a Millipore Guava EasyCyte 5HT HPL benchtop flow cytometer for cell counting using a 488nm laser (which is capable of being transported and deployed shipboard), a BD Accuri C6 Plus flow cytometer with 488nm and 640 nm lasers and an autosampler, a class II/A biosafety cabinet for containment-free media inoculation and culture manipulation, an Eppendorf epMotion 5075 fluid-handling robot with HEPA-filtered chamber, and a BD Influx fluorescence activated cell sorter with 355nm, 488nm, and 640nm lasers. Elsewhere in the lab are two ThermoScientific Locator 6 Plus liquid nitrogen dewars for culture collection storage, and a dedicated bench and tank storage system for anaerobic cultivation. We also have a COY Class A anaerobic chamber and a microaerophilic glove box. We have a full suite of cultivation vessels, including serum bottles, 50 custom 96 x 2.1 mL PTFE plates, and polycarbonate and PTFE flasks of varying sizes. Finally, the lab has an acid bath for trace-metal clean cultivation.

Please visit our website for the latest information.

There are a number of facilities at AltaSea including:

How We Make a Difference

ResearchUnfolding on land and at sea, Wrigley Institute research spans all disciplines to find holistic solutions to our world's most pressing environmental problems.

EducationWe’re training the next generation of environmental changemakers through learning opportunities in Los Angeles, on Catalina Island, and beyond.

EngagementSignature events spark meaningful, nonpartisan change to save our planet.

TrainingOur bachelor's and master's degree programs train students to view the environment with fresh eyes and develop novel, world-changing solutions to big problems.

Support to Find SolutionsWhether on USC's main campus or at our one-of-a-kind marine lab on Catalina Island, interns and fellows pursue their passions with the support of funding, leading faculty, and dedicated staff.

Please visit The Wrigley Institute for more information.

Don Bingham

Linda Bazilian

Dr. Eric Webb