MRI: Acquisition of an EPR Spectrometer

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation program (MRI), the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Utah State University will acquire an EPR spectrometer without the magnet and power supply. This instrument will be used in several research projects including (1) mechanistic studies of nitrogenase, (2) characterization of metal centers and CoM binding determinant in key enzymes of aliphatic epoxide and ketone carboxylation, (3) model complexes for active site binuclear metal centers in glyoxalase II enzymes, and (4) free radical formation during cataract phacoemulsification.An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer yields information on the molecular and electronic structure of molecules. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals, short-lived species that are often essential for the initiation of tumor growth and/or a variety of chemical reactions. These studies will yield valuable information the chemical basis of reactivity in biological systems