MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a 500 MHz solid/liquid-state NMR to Expand Interdisciplinary Research and Education at Howard University

该奖项由主要研究仪器项目和化学研究仪器项目共同支持。霍华德大学正在获取一台配备宽带探头和三重共振固体探头的500 MHz溶液和固态核磁共振(核磁共振)光谱仪，以支持Steven Cummings教授及其同事Aol Kulkami、Dharmaraj Raghavan、Sung Kim和Timothy Ramadhar的研究。该仪器促进了催化剂设计、生物化学、聚合物化学、纳米材料和药物化学领域的研究。总体而言，核磁共振波谱是化学家用于阐明分子结构的最强大的工具之一。它被用来识别未知物质，表征分子中原子的特定排列，并研究分子在溶液或固体中相互作用的动力学。对于正在进行前沿研究的化学家来说，获得最先进的核磁共振光谱仪是必不可少的。这一工具加强了霍华德大学(HBCU)多个系的所有级别的教育、研究和研究培训。这一工具进一步在该地区为少数群体服务的机构之间宣传研究和教育机会，包括摩根州立大学、鲍伊州立大学和加拉德特大学。授予500 MHz核磁共振光谱仪的目的是加强各级的研究和教育，特别是在金属-有机框架、生物系统和材料以及纳米颗粒的表征等领域。具体地说，该仪器影响了专注于将碳硼烷化学与卡宾和吡啶配体融合的研究。该仪器还可用于通过晶体海绵法的结构和机理分析来研究复杂的生物活性化合物。此外，该仪器还可以对金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜进行成分分析。其他研究包括寻找1型糖尿病标志物的外切体的代谢组和组成分析，以及小分子与蛋白NLRP3炎症小体结合模式的确定。为了应对全球氦供应挑战和《2022年芯片和科学法案》，该仪器的收购包括一个具有低损耗低温恒温器的超导磁体，减少了机构的氦消耗。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation programs. Howard University is acquiring a 500 MHz solution and solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer equipped with a broadband probe and a triple-resonance solids probe to support the research of Professor Steven Cummings along with colleagues Amol Kulkami, Dharmaraj Raghavan, Sung Kim, and Timothy Ramadhar. This instrument facilitates research in the areas of catalyst design, biochemistry, polymer chemistry, nanomaterials, and medicinal chemistry. In general, NMR spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tools available to chemists for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, to characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules in solution or in the solid state. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. This instrument enhances the educational, research, and research training at all levels in multiple departments at Howard University, a Historically Black University (HBCU). This instrument further propagates research and educational opportunities between the Minority-Serving Institutions in the region including Morgan State University, Bowie State University, and Gallaudet University. The award of the 500 MHz NMR spectrometer is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as characterizations of metal-organic frameworks, biological systems and materials, and nanoparticles. Specifically, the instrument impacts research focused on fusing carborane chemistry with carbene and pyridinate ligands. The instrument is also used for structural investigations of complex bioactive compounds by structural and mechanistic analysis of the crystalline sponge method. Additionally, this instrument enables the composition analysis of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. Other investigations include the metabolome and composition analysis of exosome in search of markers for Type 1 diabetes, and the determination of the binding mode of small molecules to the protein NLRP3 inflammasome. In response to global helium supply challenges and the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, the acquisition of this instrument includes a superconducting magnet with a low loss cryostat reducing the institution’s consumption of helium.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.