Acquisition of Equipment for Multidisciplinary NMR Upgrade for Polymer Science and Chemistry/Biochemistry

核磁共振是南密西西比大学（USM）高分子科学和化学生物化学系最重要的分析工具。该合同将允许将现有的5台光谱仪升级到当前技术（新的控制台、电子设备和3个溶液仪器和2个固态仪器的探针），并允许购买急需的500 MHz仪器，用于确定天然聚合物的一级和二级结构，如肽和聚（氨基酸），目前USM无法完成。这些新功能将大大加强校园和暑期学生（两个部门的REU项目），以及参加暑期活动和专业发展研讨会（针对工业，大学和K-12教师）的实践教育工作。研究项目涉及聚合物扩散和弛豫、形态、酶-底物相互作用和结构-性能行为等广泛的基本问题。最重要的是，这些升级将扩大USM以前的努力，开发新的方法来理解合成和天然材料的固态行为，使用广泛的同位素标签，包括碳、氮和氘。%%%%公共摘要了解原子和分子如何结合在一起，以及它们如何在溶液和固态中打包和移动，有助于解决医学、航空航天和汽车领域的问题。在提供这种基础知识方面，一种独特的技术是使用核磁共振或核磁共振波谱。这种方法类似于用于观察人体内部的磁共振成像（MRI），实际上是通过观察塑料和酶中的原子来提供这些原子在承受压力或与其他分子（如药物）相互作用时的行为信息。该奖项旨在升级和扩展南密西西比大学的核磁共振能力，为进行这种类型的分析提供最先进的仪器。该设备正在解决的基本问题包括，例如，改善尼龙等聚合物性能的方法，使其可用于汽车和航空航天工业，以减轻重量并提高燃油效率。在生物医学领域，研究构成人体并保持我们健康的天然聚合物将有助于我们理解衰老和癌症等问题。这些信息也为如何开发新的药物和新的材料来修复或替换磨损和病变的器官提供了线索。最重要的是，该奖项将如何帮助密西西比州的学生接受基础科学教育，这将有助于他们在教育、技术和医学领域的职业发展，从而造福整个美国。

NMR is the single most important analysis tool in the Departments of Polymer Science and Chemistry-Biochemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). This award will allow upgrade of five existing spectrometers to current technology (new consoles, electronics and probes for 3 solution and 2 solid state instruments) plus allow purchase of a much-needed 500 MHz instrument for determining primary and secondary structures of natural polymers such as peptides and poly(amino acids) that cannot be done now at USM. These new capabilities will greatly enhance hands-on educational efforts for on-campus and summer students (REU programs in both departments), and those that participate in summer activities and professional development workshops (for industry and for college and K-12 teachers). Research projects address a broad range of fundamental questions on polymer diffusion and relaxation, morphology, enzyme-substrate interaction and structure-property behavior. Most important is the capability these upgrades will provide for expanding previous efforts at USM in developing new methods for understanding solid state behavior of synthetic and natural materials using a wide-range of isotopic labels including carbon, nitrogen and deuterium.%%%%Public AbstractUnderstanding how atoms and molecules are joined together, and how they pack and move in solutions and in the solid state, helps solve problems in medicine, and in the aerospace and automotive areas. One technique that is unique in providing this fundamental knowledge uses NMR or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This method, which is similar to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) used in looking inside the human body, actually looks at the atoms in plastics and enzymes to provide information on what those atoms are doing undergo strain or when they interact with other molecules like drugs. This award for upgrading and extending the NMR capabilities at the University of Southern Mississippi makes available state-of-the-art instruments for doing this type of analysis. Basic problems being addressed with this equipment include, for example, ways of improving the properties of polymers like nylon so it can be used in the automotive and aerospace industries to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. In the biomedical area, studying the natural polymers that make up the human body and keep us healthy will help us understand the problems such aging and cancer. This information also gives clues on how to develop new drugs and new materials that can repair or replace worn out and diseased organs. Most important is how the award will help educate students in Mississippi in basic science that will help them in careers in education, technology and medicine that will benefit all of America.