A grant has been award to Dr. Victor Hsu at Oregon State University to acquire a cryoprobe for their 600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. NMR spectroscopy is unique in that it is the only technique that yields molecular information at the atomic scale in solution. Since the installation of the 600 MHz NMR instrument in 1995, researchers from various Departments and Colleges on the Oregon State University campus have used NMR spectroscopy to study samples ranging from 13C,15N-labeled protein-DNA complexes to anticancer/antitumor agents isolated from marine algae and beer hops to measuring oil content in grass seeds to studying metabolite levels in rat urine. However, one of the limitations to the wider use of this instrument has been its inherent sensitivity. Since many of the projects involve biomolecules that are either isolated from natural sources or are synthetically obtained, collecting useful NMR spectra under sample-limited conditions is often difficult, if not impossible. Recently, however, cryogenic probes have been developed that improve the sensitivity of the instrumentation by a factor of four. The improved signal to noise (S/N) ratio of these probes is obtained by reducing the operating temperature of the detection coil and the pre-amplifier to cryogenic temperatures. Thus the efficiency of the coil is increased and the thermal noise present in the coil and the pre-amplifier is reduced. What this means in practical terms is that by using cryoprobes, the same experiments that are currently used can be performed with either four times less sample, or a 16-fold reduction in the amount of time required. Among the many research projects that would greatly benefit from the increased sensitivity of the NMR cryoprobe are the following: Dr. Hsu's (Biochemistry/Biophysics) projects involving understanding the effects of environmental and endogenous damage on molecular function and interactions, and his studies of DNA-binding by antitumor drugs; Dr. William Gerwick's (Pharmacy) structural studies of biologically-active natural products from marine cyanobacteria and algae; Dr. James White's and Dr. David Horne's (Chemistry) studies of synthetic methods and the total synthesis of biologically-active natural products and other complex molecules; Dr. Kaichang Li's (Forest Products) investigations into the mechanisms of fungal degradation of lignin; and Dr. Max Deinzer's (Chemistry) studies into how protein alkylation and/or oxidation affects protein folding pathways. With the arrival and installation of the cryoprobe, many sample- and sensitivity-limited projects will be initiated, both by the same researchers and others. Most of these new projects would be impossible without the cryoprobe. Research projects utilizing a major involvement of the existing 600 MHz NMR spectrometer have led to more than forty peer - reviewed journal articles, review articles, and book chapters, and an even greater number of presentations at local, national, and international scientific meetings. Of equal importance, Dr. Hsu is especially pleased with the impact the NMR instrumentation has had on the University's infrastructure. This spectrometer has been used by members of over a dozen research groups on the OSU campus and additional users from other institutions. These users have included undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral associates and principal investigators. This instrument has also been very successfully utilized for teaching in classroom settings and in programs directly targeted to attracting women and minority students into the science curriculum. In fact, women and minority scientists represent more than half of the researchers trained to use the instrument. Other programs identify students at the middle and high school level, and several of these students have gained summer research employment involving the use of the NMR instrumentation. It is fully anticipated that the cryoprobe will enhance and increase these training, research, and outreach activities, and that the NMR instrument will continue to be a highly valued and utilized research resource on the OSU campus and in the Northwest region.
