Research facilities and equipment

The station has five laboratories as well as a range of research and field equipment. Boats, snowmobiles and cars can be booked for research in accordance with the price list. Laboratory and equipment enquiries and bookings are made through the research coordinator and the preliminary booking form . Please remember to bring the chemicals you need, and ensure they are disposed of properly or taken with you afterward. Also, be sure to apply for any required research permits well in advance.

The laboratories in the Kilpisjärvi station main building are under renovating. The estimated construction period is from January to the end of May 2026, during which the facilities will be unavailable. The main entrance, the auditorium and the corridor leading to the dining room will also be renovated. During the project, the fish laboratory and the laboratory on the Kiekula  will remain in use as usual, and equipment will be relocated to these facilities from the laboratories in the main building. While we will do our best to ensure the timely completion of the renovation, we are also preparing for the possibility that the laboratory facilities in the main building would remain unavailable for the fieldwork period in 2026.
Laboratories and equipment

The station includes six research laboratories, four of which are located in the Main Building.

  • Soil laboratory
  • Physiological laboratory
  • Histology laboratory
  • Laboratory for microscope and similar work

The soil laboratory can be used for “rough” analysis, such as handling soil or captured animals.

The laboratories are equipped with the most important instruments required for conducting analyses, including scales, centrifuges, a fume cupboard and a laminar flow cabinet, pH and conductivity indicators, a small autoclave, a thermophore, a dry ice machine, a water distiller, a spectrophotometer, a steam cabinet, a ULT freezer, a mirror stereoscope and microscopes. In addition, one of the laboratories includes a cold storage room for samples and a freezer room. Researchers can also borrow a camera, binoculars and a telescope.
Vehicles

Researchers can book the station’s vehicles: 

  • A van (seating 9)
  • Two passenger cars (seating 5 each)
  • A trailer
  • A Buster motor boat with a cabin
  • Three rowing boats with outboard motors
  • A snowmobile and a sledge

Fees are charged for vehicle use in accordance with the price list. The station lends bicycles, forest skis, snowshoes and kicksleds.
Chemicals

As a rule, researchers acquire the chemicals they need on their own. The station acquires calibration solutions for laboratory equipment. If you wish to order chemicals or, for example, culture media, to be delivered to the station, please contact the research coordinator. 

Chemicals must be clearly labelled and stored in designated cabinets. Please remove the chemicals you bring to the station or take care of their appropriate disposal.
Laboratory and equipment enquiries