) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a major technique used throughout health-related research in areas such as drug design; the molecular structure of pharmaceuticals, metabolites, proteins, nucleic acids; and in vivo NMR (MRS) and imaging (MRI). The complete understanding of the complex pulse sequences that comprise NMR methods is beyond the expertise of most application scientists who simply want to use NMR as a tool. But at present, these methods must be optimized by the user and this lack of expertise can lead to poor spectra or the inability to perform some methods. We will apply the results of current and proposed research concerning adiabatic radiofrequency pulses, which have unique properties in terms of optimal sensitivity, efficiency and ease of calibration. By replacing conventional radiofrequency pulses with adiabatic pulses, automated packages of pulse sequences will be developed by Adiabatics Inc. These technological products will enable the user to choose an appropriate NMR method that is then performed automatically under optimal conditions without any further effort. In Phase II we will produce automated packages for organic and protein chemistry. These products will be updated in Phase III and additional automated packages, e.g. for MRS, will be developed.
The current market for high resolution NMR instrumentation (excludes MRI) is $300m p.a. and users, who number in the tens of thousands, range from clinical scientists and biologists to biochemists and organic and industrial chemists working in universities and industry. Our automated packages of NMR methods will be licensed to the manufacturers of NMR spectrometers and sold to individual NMR laboratories.
