This award is funded by the Major Research Instrumentation Program and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Programs to acquire a console for a 600 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer to enhance the research of six faculty and the training of undergraduate researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Oberlin College. NMR is a powerful technique for studying molecular structure, and the instrument will expand the range of experiments faculty and students can perform on liquid and solid samples. It will also provide more precise measurements, and through the use of an automated sample changer, increase research productivity. The research areas of the faculty include chemical biology, materials science, organic chemistry, and NMR crystallography, and atmospheric chemistry. Faculty-student research using the new instrument will contribute to knowledge in such areas as detection of lead in drinking water, understanding of drug action and protein function, and design of catalysts. Access to up-to-date instrumentation is essential to workforce training and preparing the next generation of scientific leaders. The state-of-the-art instrument will be used in mentored student research and in courses that serve chemistry, biochemistry, and biology majors and pre-medical students. A helium recovery system will aid in the national effort to conserve helium, a limited resource that is necessary for the operation of the NMR instrument. The new 600 MHz con