International Collaboration in Chemistry: Sensitivity & Contrast Enhancement in Solution MR Spectroscopy & Microimaging by Indirect Detection and Spin Amplification

磁共振（MR）光谱/成像已成为化学，物理，生物，材料和医学中各种应用的最成功的分析技术之一。在这个由化学系化学测量和成像计划资助的项目中，Yung-Ya Lin教授将在UCLA和国立台湾大学（NTU）之间建立新的国际合作，以开发创新方法，显着提高MR光谱和成像的灵敏度和对比度，现代MR中的两个主要挑战。这对于其中感兴趣的分子中的原子仅具有弱磁性的生物分子MR特别重要，或当分子仅以低浓度存在时。根据化学系化学测量与成像计划的资助，林教授及其同事最近发现并研究了溶液MR中的非线性/混沌动力学。非线性/混沌系统所表现出的著名的“蝴蝶效应”或“雪崩效应”，也就是说，对初始条件的极端敏感性，将发展成为强大的新方法，用于MR光谱和成像的灵敏度/对比度增强。拟议的研究利用UCLA组和NTU组的尖端技术来实现显着的MR灵敏度/对比度增强，从而将其影响扩展到生物医学，生物化学和生物物理学。它的智力优点是：（i）首次利用非线性/混沌自旋动力学的新兴方面来减轻MR灵敏度/对比度中的基本限制;（ii）设计基于间接检测和高场自旋放大的一般灵敏度/对比度增强机制;以及（iii）通过电子反馈控制装置控制非线性自旋动力学并优化放大增益。这种合作将是高度互补的，对两个团队都有好处，只有通过这种独特的团队成员和资源组合才有可能。其更广泛的影响是：（i）利用独特的资源和互补的能力，并通过形成新的国际合作来展示高水平的协同作用;（ii）构建非线性MR模拟器和基于网络的交互式课程，用于研究，指导，教学和推广，以实现研究和教育之间的相互促进。

Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy/imaging has become one of the most successful analytical techniques for a diverse array of applications in chemistry, physics, biology, materials, and medicine. In this project funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Yung-Ya Lin will establish new international collaboration between UCLA and National Taiwan University (NTU) to develop innovative approaches to significantly enhance the sensitivity and contrast in MR spectroscopy and imaging, two major challenges in modern MR. This is particularly important for biomolecular MR where the atoms in the molecules of interest are only weakly magnetic, or when the molecules are present only at low concentrations.From recent research funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Lin and his coworkers have discovered and investigated nonlinear/chaotic dynamics in solution MR. The well-known "butterfly effect" or "avalanching effect" exhibited by nonlinear/chaotic systems, i.e., extreme sensitivity to initial conditions, will be developed into powerful new approaches for sensitivity/contrast enhancement for MR spectroscopy and imaging. The proposed research utilizes cutting edge techniques from both the UCLA group and the NTU group to achieve significant MR sensitivity/contrast enhancement, thereby extending its impacts to biomedicine, biochemistry, and biophysics. Its intellectual merits are: (i) Utilizing emerging aspects of nonlinear/chaotic spin dynamics for the first time to alleviate the fundamental limitation in MR sensitivity/contrast; (ii) Engineering a general sensitivity/contrast enhancement mechanism based on indirect detection and spin amplification at high fields; and (iii) Controlling the nonlinear spin dynamics and optimizing the amplification gains by an electronic feedback control device. This collaboration will be highly complementary and beneficial to both teams and is only possible through this unique combination of team members and resources. Its broader impacts are (i) Making use of unique resources and complementary capabilities and demonstrating a high level of synergy through the formation of new international collaborations; (ii) Constructing a Nonlinear MR Simulator and web-based interactive course for research, mentorship, teaching, and outreach to enable cross-fertilization between research and education.