9306392 Gelbaum Investigators in the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology, Chemical Engineering, the Research Center for Biotechnology at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Institute for Paper Science and Technology request funds for an upgrade of a Varian XL-400, 400 MHz NMR spectrometer. At the present time this is the only instrument on the Georgia Tech Campus that is completely multinuclear and on which one can reserve time for long term multidimensional NMR experiments. A Varian Gemini 300, 300 MHz NMR spectrometer located in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry is only capable of running lH and 13C spectra and is used so extensively that time can be reserved for only short periods. In addition it does not have the capabilities necessary to carry out research in the area of structure and dynamics of biologically important systems. The recent shift in emphasis of several Georgia Tech departments to more biomolecular related areas make it essential that we increase the capabilities of our instrument to carry out the most important multidimensional NMR experiments i.e. TOCSY and NOESY in 90% H2O. The XL-400 NMR, for which we are requesting an upgrade, serves the entire Georgia Tech community, therefore, a description of all of the research projects that will utilize the new upgrade would be too extensive for this proposal. Some of the research projects that will require the upgraded instrument include the investigations of: protein structure and folding (Briggs), structure and dynamics of G.G mismatch (Gelbaum), protease and protease inhibitors (Powers), fundamental investigations of xylanases (Ragauskas), NMR studies on mammalian cells (Sambanis), complexes of intercalators with DNA lesions (Williams) and isolation and synthesis of chemotherapeutic agents (Zalkow).
