This award is for the acquisition of a high-field NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectrometer with cryoprobe. Sixteen investigators will use this instrument for research on: solution state characterization of the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules, structural characterization of organic compounds (both natural products and synthesized organics; many aremass-limited), metabolite studies, and development of new NMR methods. This research will produce new insights into protein structure and dynamics, enzyme function, RNA-peptide interactions, molecular scaffolds and assemblies, effects of pollution, characterization of metabolites, and novel biosynthesis.
The new instrument will play a major role in education and professional training at the university. The investigators are from seven departments on campus, and the instrument will enable a user base of over 200 graduate and undergraduate students and post-doctoral researchers to obtain high field spectra with greater dispersion and sensitivity than is now possible. Existing lower field instruments will be liberated for more routine work, allowing rational partitioning of NMR time on all available instruments for use in research and teaching of graduates and undergraduates. NMR is a featured component in numerous campus courses offered in a variety of departments, with several courses having a lab component with hands-on operation of NMR spectrometers. Faculty utilizing the proposed NMR spectrometer participate in well-established minority outreach programs such as the MURPPS program, NSF Young Scholars and ACS Project SEED.
