Helium Recycling for UIC Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

项目总结

Project summary Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a critical technique for characterization of small molecules such as proteins, including their structure, dynamics monitoring and quantitative analysis, among others. For proper operation of NMR instrumentation, cryogenic liquids such as helium are necessary to maintain low temperatures required for operation. Helium is a limited natural resource and much of the cryogenic liquid used for instruments such as NMR is released to the atmosphere during both routine operation and occasional magnet fills. To address this issue, commercial vendors have developed helium gas capture and recycling systems to be able to address the boil off loss. At the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), our shared NMR instrument core, located in the Center for Structural Biology, houses three NMR spectrometers with an additional instrument planned for installation in the coming months. Thus, this facility demands substantial liquid helium, which is both costly and uses a depleting natural resource. In response to this funding announcement, we are proposing to prepare the site and install a helium recycling unit that has multi- instrument capabilities in the Center for Structural Biology. The addition of this new system will streamline our operations, modernize our facility and enable an increased user base for this shared facility.