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

​这一新进展可显著提高碳-13等异核物质的核磁共振光谱灵敏度和成像对比度。在为期8周的资助期内，我们将专注于MRI对比增强。目前的核磁共振成像技术存在对比度差、灵敏度差、人体存在巨大的背景信号等问题。异核分子成像（如碳-13）可以解决背景信号的问题，但同样存在灵敏度不高的问题。目前的合作项目是开发创新方法，利用基于非线性自旋动力学的碳-13磁共振光谱和微成像来提高灵敏度和/或对比度。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%死于癌症的人。该项目将包括一个平衡的方法，一方面发展对加州大学洛杉矶分校非线性自旋动力学的严格理论理解，另一方面，在南洋理工大学的EAPSI研究中，健全的方法和仪器将证明生物分子核磁共振的显著灵敏度提高。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来减轻核磁共振灵敏度的基本限制。所提出的研究的智力优点在于将自旋物理学（主动反馈磁共振）的进展引导到具有有价值的生物医学应用（分子成像和早期肿瘤检测）的异核MRI的重大改进中。其更广泛的影响在于加速基于核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。该奖项隶属于东亚及太平洋暑期研究所项目，由美国国家科学基金会和台湾科技部共同资助，支持美国研究生的暑期研究。

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.