EAPSI: Sensitivity Enhancement in Solution NMR by Nonlinear High-Field Effects

该项目支持与台湾国立台湾大学（NTU）化学系高场NMR和仪器领域的世界知名专家林英芝教授合作开展研究，以开发核磁共振（NMR）领域的创新方法。这一新的发展可以显着提高NMR的光谱灵敏度和磁共振成像（MRI）的图像对比度，如碳-13的异核。在8周的资助期内，我们将专注于MRI对比增强。目前的MRI技术存在对比度差、灵敏度低、背景信号大等缺点。异源分子成像（例如碳-13）可以解决背景信号的问题，但同样受到灵敏度差的影响。目前的合作项目是开发创新的方法，以提高灵敏度和/或对比度，使用碳-13 MR光谱和显微成像的基础上的非线性自旋动力学。更广泛的影响包括微小恶性肿瘤的早期检测（I期或II期），这可以挽救约30%的癌症死亡者。该项目将包括一种平衡的方法，一方面在UCLA发展对非线性自旋动力学的严格理论理解， 在NTU的EAPSI研究期间，证明了生物分子NMR的显着灵敏度增强。这将利用两个主要发现i）主动反馈机制和ii）通过偶极相互作用间接检测碳-13以减轻NMR灵敏度的根本限制。拟议研究的智力价值在于将自旋物理学（主动反馈磁共振）的进展引入具有重要生物医学应用（分子成像和早期肿瘤检测）的异源MRI的显着改进。其更广泛的影响在于加速基于磁共振的物理肿瘤学和纳米医学的未来发展，从而将磁共振和基础成像研究转化为拯救生命的应用。该奖项隶属于东亚和太平洋夏季研究所计划，支持美国研究生的夏季研究，由NSF和台湾科技部共同资助。

This project supports research in a collaboration with Prof. Ying-Chih Lin, a world-renowned expert on high-field NMR and instrumentation, in the department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taiwan to develop innovative methodology in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This new development could significantly enhance the spectral sensitivity in NMR and image contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for heteronuclei such as of Carbon-13. Over the 8-week funding period, we will focus on MRI contrast enhancement. Current MRI technique suffers from the poor contrast and sensitivity and the presence of huge background signals in our body. Heteronuclear molecular imaging (e.g. Carbon-13) can resolve the problem of background signal, but again suffers from poor sensitivity. The current collaborative project is to develop innovative approaches to enhance the sensitivity and/or contrast using Carbon-13 MR spectroscopy and micro imaging based on the nonlinear spin dynamics. The broader impact includes the very early detection (stage I or II) of tiny malignant tumor, which can save about 30% of those who die of cancers.This project will encompass a balanced approach to develop a rigorous theoretical understanding of nonlinear spin dynamics at UCLA on one hand and sound methodology and instrumentation to demonstrate significant sensitivity enhancement in biomolecular NMR during the EAPSI research at NTU. This will utilize two major findings i) active feedback mechanism and ii) indirect detection of Carbon-13 through dipolar interaction to alleviate the fundamental limitation in NMR sensitivity. The intellectual merits of the proposed research lie in channeling progress in spin physics (Active-Feedback Magnetic Resonance) into significant improvements in heteronuclear MRI with valuable biomedical applications (molecular imaging and early tumor detection). Its broader impacts lie in accelerating future developments of MR-based physical oncology and nano medicine, thereby transforming magnetic resonance and fundamental imaging research into life-saving applications.This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.