MRI: Acquisition of a Pulsed Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer

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This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program. Professor Gary Lorigan from Miami University at Oxford (Ohio) and colleagues Michael Crowder, David Tierney, Carole Dabney-Smith and Richard Page are acquiring an X-/Q-band pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer. This instrument allows research in a variety of fields that study molecules with unpaired electrons such as biology and environmental studies. In general, an EPR spectrometer yields detailed information on the geometric and electronic structure of molecular and solid state materials. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of the unpaired electrons as they are short-lived, highly reactive species involved in many chemical transformations. Graduate and undergraduate students (including those from in an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program) are trained in the researchers' laboratories to be competitive in careers in academia and industry. Students from the nearby Central State University (an Historically Black College or University (HBCU)) also have access to this instrumentation. This EPR spectrometer enhances research and education at all levels. It aids researchers in probing the structure of the KCNE1/Q1 channel complex; elucidating the binding mechanisms of different substrates and inhibitors for metallo-B-lactamases, and studying the electronic state of high-spin cobalt(II) magnetic materials and enzymes. The instrumentation is also used in determining the chloroplast membrane transport mechanisms and studying the proteins involved in muscle contraction and signal transduction. The spectrometer is employed in probing the protein-protein interactions of the CHIP/Hsp70 protein complex and investigating the structure/binding of homo/hetero-oligomeric proteins. Finally, the EPR spectrometer serves as a regional resource for other state institutions and nearby universities.