Purchase of 800 MHz NMR Spectrometer

博尔德科罗拉多大学的亚瑟帕迪博士获得了一笔赠款，为购买最先进的800 MHz核磁共振（NMR）光谱仪提供了部分资金。 由落基山脉地区的三所大学组成的联盟;科罗拉多大学博尔德分校、科罗拉多大学健康科学中心（UCHSC）和犹他州大学医学院将平等地分享这一仪器。 这种高场核磁共振将有利于七个主要用户的研究计划（A。Pardi和D.S. Wuttke at Boulder; W. L. Sundquist和D.R.犹他州的戴维斯博士和B博士。K.本迪亚克，D.N.M. Jones和UCHSC的M. J. Overduin）以及这三个机构和落基山脉地区的其他未成年人用户。 各种研究计划集中在蛋白质，核酸和碳水化合物的结构-功能研究。 最近的方法学发展允许在比以前可能的大得多的大分子上获得非常高分辨率的NMR光谱。 这些强大的新技术在超高磁场下最有效，所要求的800 MHz NMR将使该联盟的成员能够显着增强他们对更大和更复杂的大分子的研究计划。该仪器将加速以下领域的新的和正在进行的研究项目：寡糖结构和细胞表面糖-蛋白质相互作用- B。K. HIV引物/模板复合物的结构研究- D。R.疾病中蛋白质和碳水化合物的结构-功能研究。N. M.膜相关蛋白的结构、相互作用和动力学。J. Overduin; RNA - A的结构-功能研究。HIV-1组装和出芽的结构研究。I.生物重要分子识别的结构研究- D。S.伍德克 主要用户目前可以使用较低磁场的NMR仪器，因此800 MHz NMR将专门用于对该仪器的更高场、更高分辨率和更高灵敏度有明显需求的项目。 除了使用800 MHz NMR来确定生物重要大分子的溶液结构外，一些主要用户还积极参与开发用于确定溶液中生物分子结构的改进技术。 因此，这种超高场NMR也将用于帮助开发新方法，用于探测比以前可能的更大的蛋白质，RNA，DNA和碳水化合物的结构和动力学。人们越来越意识到生物分子的结构/功能研究对人类医学和卫生保健的革命性影响。 核磁共振光谱学和X射线晶体学是确定生物分子高分辨率结构的两种技术。 在这种800 MHz NMR仪器上进行的研究将导致技术创新，最大限度地提高潜在药物靶点的结构和动力学信息，这有助于开发针对癌症，病毒和微生物感染以及发育疾病的改进疗法。这台最先进的800 MHz NMR的收购也将对该联盟三所大学的研究生，博士后研究人员，本科生和教师的教育培训产生重大影响。 7大用户群体共同支撑着大量的研究生、本科生、博士后研究人员和技术人员。 使用这种最先进的仪器进行蛋白质、碳水化合物和核酸的溶液结构研究将提供出色的培训机会，从而使这些NMR用户的专业知识水平更高。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Arthur Pardi at University of Colorado, Boulder that provides partial funding for purchase of a state-of-the-art 800 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. A consortium of three Universities in the Rocky Mountain Region; the University of Colorado, Boulder, the University of Colorado Health Science Center (UCHSC) and the University of Utah School of Medicine, will equally share this instrument. This high field NMR will benefit the research programs of the seven major users (Drs. A. Pardi and D.S. Wuttke at Boulder; Drs. W.L. Sundquist and D.R. Davis at Utah; and Drs. B. K. Bendiak, D.N.M. Jones, and M.J. Overduin at UCHSC) as well as other minor users at the three institutions and in the Rocky Mountain Region. The various research programs are focused on structure-function studies of proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates. Recent methodological developments allow acquisition of very high-resolution NMR spectra on much larger macromolecules than was previously possible. These powerful new techniques are most effective at ultra-high magnetic fields, and the requested 800 MHz NMR will make it possible for the members of this consortium to dramatically enhance their research programs on larger and more complex macromolecules. This instrument will accelerate new and ongoing research projects in the following areas: Oligosaccharide Structures and Cell Surface Carbohydrate-Protein Interactions - B. K. Bendiak; Structural Studies of HIV Primer/Template Complex - D. R. Davis; Structure-Function Studies of Proteins and Carbohydrates Involved in Disease - D. N. M. Jones; Structures, Interactions and Dynamics of Membrane-Associated Proteins - M. J. Overduin; Structure-Function Studies of RNA - A. Pardi; Structural Studies of HIV-1 Assembly and Budding - W. I. Sundquist; Structural Studies of Biologically Important Molecular Recognition - D. S. Wuttke. The major users currently have access to lower magnetic field NMR instrumentation so the 800 MHz NMR will be exclusively used for projects that have a demonstrated need for the higher field, higher resolution and higher sensitivity of this instrument. In addition to using the 800 MHz NMR to determine solution structures of biologically important macromolecules, some of the major users are actively involved in development of improved techniques for determining structures of biomolecules in solution. Thus this ultra-high field NMR will also be used to aid in the development of new methods for probing the structures and dynamics of larger proteins, RNAs, DNAs, and carbohydrates than was previously possible. There is a growing awareness of the potential of structure/function studies of biomolecules for revolutionizing human medicine and health care. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography are the two techniques for determining high-resolution structures of biomolecules. The research performed on this 800 MHz NMR instrument will lead to technological innovations that maximize structural and dynamical information on potential drug targets which can aid in the development of improved therapies for cancer, viral and microbial infections and developmental diseases. The acquisition of this state-of-the-art 800 MHz NMR will also have significant impact on the educational training of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, undergraduates, and faculty at the three Universities in the consortium. The 7 major users groups together support a large number of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and technical staff. Access to this state-of-the-art instrument for solution structural studies of proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids will provide an outstanding training opportunity, leading to much higher level of expertise of these NMR users.