Demonstration and Applications of Single Molecule Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at Physiological Conditions

在化学测量与成像（CMI）和化学结构、动力学和机制-A （CSDM-A）项目的支持下，南加州大学Susumu Takahashi博士和他的团队正在设计改进磁共振（MR）技术的方法，以便能够应用这些强大的表征工具来研究生物分子的结构和动力学，直到单分子水平。Takahashi博士还在开发教育/培训计划和材料，以帮助向南加州大学研究生和本科生以及南加州大学社区的高中生和小学生解释这些方法和化学。核磁共振（NMR）和电子顺磁共振（EPR）等磁共振光谱技术可以提供分子结构和动力学的详细信息，但由于固有的低灵敏度而受到阻碍。最近的技术进步，特别是利用金刚石中单个氮空位（NV）中心作为传感器的技术进步，已经能够探测到单个电子自旋。Takahashi博士试图演示在生理条件下使用NV中心和高频/高场EPR对一些分子进行核磁共振分析。研究工作的成功将为研究含有天然电子自旋中心或外源自旋标记的单个生物分子的EPR提供一条有希望的途径。

With support from the Chemical Measurement & Imaging (CMI) and the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, & Mechanisms - A (CSDM-A) Programs in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Susumu Takahashi and his group at the University of Southern California are devising means of improving magnetic resonance (MR) techniques in order to enable application of these powerful characterization tools to study the structure and dynamics of biological molecules down to the level of single molecules. Dr. Takahashi is also developing educational/training programs and materials that will help explain these methods and the chemistry they help to explain to USC graduate and undergraduate students, as well as to high school and elementary school students in USC's neighborhood community.Magnetic resonance spectrometry techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), can provide detailed information about molecular structure and dynamics, but are hampered by intrinsically low sensitivity. Recent technological advances, particularly those utilizing a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond as a sensor, have enabled detection of a single electron spin. Dr. Takahashi seeks to demonstrate MR analysis of a few molecules under physiological conditions using NV centers and high-frequency/high-field EPR. Success in the research work will provide a promising pathway to enable EPR investigation of single biological molecules containing either native electron spin centers or extrinsic spin labels.