CryoProbe-enabled Bruker AVANCE NEO 500 MHz NMR Spectrometer

NIH RePORTER · NIH · S10 · $999,500 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract The Magnetic Resonance Center (MRC) is a centralized facility housing the only high- field NMR spectrometers at Boston College (BC). The MRC primarily serves the faculty members of the Chemistry Department, 67% of whom work on projects funded by the NIH. Liquid state NMR is by far the most suitable experimental method for biomedical research, because the samples under investigation most closely mimic the molecules in their natural state within our bodies. Here, funds are requested to purchase a CryoProbe enabled AVANCE NEO 500 MHz spectrometer from Bruker Biospin Corporation. This system can detect samples of very low (nM) concentrations with the highest sensitivity, while reducing the acquisition time for data collection. The NMR systems that currently occupy the MRC were manufactured by Agilent, which has ceased all operations in magnetic resonance; therefore, support for the existing instruments will end in 2021. The 500 MHz NEO, with higher sensitivity and resolution, will replace a 400 MHz system with a magnet that is over twenty years old. In addition to addressing this critical need, the CryoProbe will enhance sensitivity of the NMR data while increasing capacity in the MRC due to reduced acquisition times. This is an accessory that has never been a part of BC’s instrumentation repertoire. The new system will also enable the MRC to maintain its vital function at BC by providing our researchers with new capabilities that are currently unavailable. The numerous NIH-funded research projects at BC emphasize on the betterment of public health, focusing on biological systems or novel catalysis methods that aid in drug design. An NMR spectrometer that is sensitive enough to acquire high quality data with less material is crucial for promoting the outcomes of these projects. The enhanced capacity and sensitivity of the new instrument will benefit all of these NIH projects at BC, which include studies of biological pathways, and developments of new biologic therapeutics. The new system is also very adept at deuterium detection, enables facile acquisition of spectra at low temperatures, and has water suppression techniques that are superior and more user-friendly than existing Agilent counterparts. All of these aspects are crucial to support ongoing projects at BC that have historically been limited by the legacy Agilent systems. Therefore, this new instrument will prove to be an invaluable asset to our researchers for years to come.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10177003
Project number
1S10OD026910-01A1
Recipient
BOSTON COLLEGE
Principal Investigator
Thusitha Jayasundera
Activity code
S10
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2021
Award amount
$999,500
Award type
1
Project period
2021-06-15 → 2023-03-14