Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful tool available to the chemist for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules in solution. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectroscopy is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. This award, joint-funded by the Chemistry Shared Instrumentation Program and the Biological Instrumentation Program, will help the Chemistry Department of the University of Minnesota to acquire a high-field NMR spectrometer. The areas of research that will be enhanced by the acquisition include: 1) Study of bonding and reaction mechanisms in Organic chemistry 2) Complete structural characterization of complex carbohydrates by the reductive cleavage method 3) Natural product synthesis and NMR 4) Biosynthesis of natural products 5) Mechanisms of biosynthetic formation of deoxy sugars 6) Structure and mechanism of non-heme iron containing proteins using NMR spectroscopy.
