Ing. Nico Helmsing

Ing. Nico R. Helmsing graduated from the Hogeschool Larenstein in 2003. Where he studied laboratory techniques and specialized in environmental analysis. In his final thesis at the Department of Aquatic Food Webs at the NIOO-KNAW Centre for Limnology he investigated the defensive strategies of algae of the Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus genera to herbivory by the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. After that he worked for 5 months on a project called 'Inducible Defenses’ and from July 2003 he is employed at the Department of Aquatic Food Webs. His main tasks are chemical analyses of samples i.e. nutrients, stable isotopes and metals, as well as helping researchers conduct their research. He is responsible for Limnotron-, micro- and aquarium facilities as well as small experimental rooms.In the years working at NIOO he has aquired a lot of experience with all kinds of aquatic ecological experiments, from running microcosm and Limnotron experiments to small scale batch experiments as well as flow-though and chemostat experiments, In April 2018 he was a chosen representative in the Workers Counsel of NIOO.

Expertise

1. Total Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Analysis
 

 

 

 

Carbon and Nitrogen analysis are analyzed on a Flash1112 analyser.

Typical samples are Algea of GFF filter, Zooplankton, plant material, soil material, bacteria and higher organisms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Autoanalyser Nutrient analysis

 

 

Nutrients are analyzed on a Seal Quaatro continuous segmented flow analyzer.

Simultaneous analysis of Nitrate/Nitrite, Ammonia, Phosphate and Silicate are possible in aqueous samples. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS)

 

 

Measurement of  δ‰ C13/C12  & δ‰ N15/N14 in organic samples for in natural abundances or enriched state using a Flash2000 elemental analyzer coupled via a Conflo IV to a Delta V IRMS. 

Typical samples are Algae of GFF filter, Zooplankton, plant material, soil material, bacteria and higher organisms.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES)

 

 

Measurments of metals in digests or aqueous solutions on a Thermo ICAP 6500-duo ICP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Mesocosm/Limnotrons

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responsible for the maintainace of the Limotron facility. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Aquaria/ microscoms

 

 

 

 

Responsible for the Aquaria facility. 

These consist of 8 large aquaria & 8 small aquaria with 5 biological filters and have temperature and light control

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responsible for the microcosm facility

these are 24 aquaria with 42 possible microcosms controlled for temperature and light and individual stirring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Continuous Culturing \ Chemostats

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Maintaining continuous cultures of rotifers and algae in chemostats:

- In 1-step chemostats (Algae) (shown here)
- In 2-step chemostats (Herbivores Zooplankton)
- In 3-step Chemostats (Carnivores Zooplankton)