Equipment: Helium Recovery Equipment: Critical Helium Recycling System for CSUN to Preserve NMR Access for Research and Teaching

在化学系（CHE）的支持下，以及分子和细胞生物科学系（MCB）的共同资助下，加勒特教授和他在加州州立大学北岭分校（CSUN）的同事们正在为该系用于教师和学生研究以及教授众多本科生和研究生课程的核磁共振（NMR）仪器增加一个液氦回收厂。 氦气是一种不可再生的资源，它被冷凝成一种超冷液体，用于冷却CSUN的NMR仪器，并能够研究各种有机和生物化学分子。 回收厂将收集从两台核磁共振仪器中蒸发出来的氦气，然后将其浓缩并再利用。回收系统将减少购买液氦的需求，从而降低成本，并有助于长期保存珍贵的自然资源-纯净的He。CSUN化学和生物化学系拥有三台核磁共振光谱仪，其中两个（多核400 MHz和600 MHz仪器）彼此靠近，因此可以共享再循环技术。 氦回收系统将减少该部门的800升/年氦消耗高达70%，确保教师和学生继续使用仪器。 除了支持的研究，这将使关键的核磁共振实验继续纳入几个核心类，包括有机化学，有机合成，无机化学和深入的有机分析选修。 CSUN是一所大型的西班牙裔大学，也为大量第一代学生提供学术机会。 大多数本科生和所有研究生从事研究，大约一半的部门的教师需要核磁共振数据为他们的研究计划。 这些包括化学家和生物化学家，专注于有机合成方法，天然产物合成，电池和氢技术，蛋白质伴侣的生物化学和生物活性化合物。 因此，氦回收厂将为该部门的双重教学和研究使命增加重要价值。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Division of Chemistry (CHE), and co-funding from the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), Professor Garrett and his colleagues at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), are adding a liquid helium recycling plant to the department’s nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments used in faculty and student research as well as in teaching numerous undergraduate and graduate classes. Helium gas is a non-renewable resource that is condensed to a supercold liquid needed to cool CSUN’s NMR instruments and enable study a broad range of organic and biochemical molecules. The recycling plant will collect the helium gas that evaporates from two NMR instruments, then condense and reuse it. The recycling system will reduces the need to purchase liquid helium, and so reduce costs and contribute to the preservation of purified He, a precious natural resource, for long-term usage.The CSUN Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has three NMR spectrometers, two of which (multinuclear 400 MHz and 600 MHz instruments) are located close to each other and so are amenable to sharing recycling technology. The helium recycling system will reduce the Department’s 800 liter/year helium consumption by up to 70%, assuring continued faculty and student access to the instruments. In addition to supported research, this will enable continued incorporation of critical NMR experiments into several core classes, including organic chemistry, organic synthesis, inorganic chemistry and an in-depth organic analysis elective. CSUN is a large, Hispanic-serving university, that also provides academic opportunities to a significant number of first-generation students. Most undergraduates and all graduate students engage in research and approximately half of the department’s faculty need NMR data for their research programs. These include chemists and biochemists focused on organic synthetic methodology, natural product synthesis, battery and hydrogen technology, the biochemistry of protein chaperones, and biologically active compounds. As such, the helium recycling plant will add significant value to the department's dual teaching-research mission.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.