# A Resonator for Pulsed ODNP Spectroscopy to Study Surface Hydration Dynamics

> **NIH NIH R44** · BRIDGE 12 TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · 2021 · $491,814

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
 The proposed research focuses on the development of a turn-key resonator for liquid-state Overhauser
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP) spectroscopy to study the site-specific translational dynamics of water
molecules located at the interface of bio-macromolecules such as membrane proteins. It will allow researchers
to readily perform ODNP experiments in either a state-of-the-art commercially available X-band cw/pulsed
electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer or using a benchtop ODNP spectrometer.
 In recent years, DNP has proven to be a robust method to increase signal intensities in NMR experiments
in laboratories around the world and substantial progress has been made in adapting DNP for solid- and solution-
state NMR spectroscopy. This progress has sparked a new interest in ODNP spectroscopy. Although the method
is known since the 1960s it has just recently been applied successfully to study the site-specific translational
dynamics of water located at the interface of large bio-macromolecules such as membrane proteins. ODNP can
map out the local and site-specific hydration dynamics landscape of membrane proteins and lipid membranes
and can provide critical information about the protein structure and dynamics.
 One of the major challenges in ODNP spectroscopy is microwave induced sample heating. During Phase
I of this project, we successfully designed, fabricated and characterized a novel prototype ODNP resonator. This
SBIR Phase II application will assure that the prototype can be turned into a customer product. As demonstrated
by the prototype, the resonator will have a much higher microwave conversion factor compared to conventional
rectangular or circular EPR cavities. In addition, the low Q resonance structure will allow pulsed ODNP
experiments to further minimize microwave induced heating by reducing the average power required to saturate
the EPR transitions.
 The successful development of this technology will provide researchers access to instrumentation
allowing them to incorporate ODNP spectroscopy in their research routine without the hassle of troubleshooting
home-built equipment. This will greatly proliferate the method and is of large interest to many projects funded by
the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10325293
- **Project number:** 2R44GM126770-02
- **Recipient organization:** BRIDGE 12 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Thorsten Maly
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $491,814
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-12-28 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10325293

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10325293, A Resonator for Pulsed ODNP Spectroscopy to Study Surface Hydration Dynamics (2R44GM126770-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10325293. Licensed CC0.

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