Renewal of the 600 MHz solid-state NMR console for biological applications

固体核磁共振在提供关于复杂生物系统的原子分辨率、结构和动态信息方面具有独特的地位，与其他结构生物学和生物物理技术具有很强的互补性。它被生命科学和物理科学的研究人员用来解决从蛋白质到细胞甚至完整植物的系统中的复杂问题。这反过来又导致关键领域的进步，从可持续和有弹性的农业、安全营养食品、新药品和更好的健康，到新的低碳更环保的能源、材料和日常产品。在本提案中，我们要求用新的最先进的控制台和两个附带的核磁共振探头取代过时且经常发生故障的固态核磁共振控制台，以便不仅能够更快地执行广泛的实验，而且能够在更具挑战性和更复杂的系统上执行，从而解决与重要社会问题相关的更广泛的挑战。核磁共振探头有各种不同的规格，特别是具有不同的转子直径以及射频通道的数量和调谐范围--允许研究不同的同位素，例如氢、碳、氮和氟-不同的探头最适合不同的应用。升级的附加值是，随着时间的推移，有许多其他的核磁共振探头可以与新的控制台一起使用，并从它提供的改进中受益。该设备将在多用户和多学科环境中使用，来自不同学科的科学家一起工作，以最大限度地增加解决无法用单一“神奇子弹”科学方法解决的重要问题的机会。这项提议的另一个重要方面是，它将使我们能够在最先进的设备上培训新一代科学家。博士和博士后将从这种培训中受益，他们可以携带他们作为学术或工业环境中的独立科学家所获得的技能和知识，并将其应用于应对新的挑战。最后，我们还建议将这一专门仪器的部分时间提供给更广泛的科学界，供他们进行“试用者”会议，在此期间，他们可以测试这种方法是否可以为他们的科学问题提供答案。由于固态核磁共振的高度专业性，最终用户将得到当地科学家的高水平专业知识的支持，并可以利用这些专业知识。如果需要更长的项目，可以与经验丰富的当地科学家合作进行。

Solid-state NMR is uniquely positioned to provide atomic resolution structural and dynamic information on complex biological systems that is highly complementary to other structural biology and biophysical techniques. It is used by researchers in the life and physical sciences to address complex problems in systems ranging from proteins to cells and even intact plants. This in turn leads to advancements in key areas from sustainable and resilient agriculture, safe nutritious food, new pharmaceuticals and better health to new low-carbon 'greener' energy, materials and everyday products.In this proposal we request to replace an obsolete and often malfunctioning solid-state NMR console with a new state-of-the-art console and two accompanying NMR probes in order to be able to perform a wide range of experiments not only faster but also on more challenging and complex systems and thus tackle a wider set of challenges related to the important societal issues. NMR probes exist in a variety of different specifications, notably with different rotor diameters as well as the number and tuning range of the rf channels - allowing different isotopes to be studied, e.g., hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and fluorine - and different probes are best suited to different applications. The added value of the upgrade is that there is a number of other NMR probes acquired over time that could be used with the new console and benefit from presented by it improvements. This equipment will be used in a multiuser and multidisciplinary environment where scientists from different disciplines work together in order to maximise a chance of solving important problems that cannot be solved with a single "magic bullet" scientific approach. Another important aspect of this proposal is that it will enable us to train a new generation of scientists on a state-of-the-art equipment. PhD and postdocs, who would benefit from such training, could carry the skills and the knowledge they acquired as a result of it as independent scientists in academic or industrial setting and apply it to tackling new challenges.Finally, we also propose to make available to the wider scientific community part of the time on this specialised instrument for "taster" sessions during which they can test whether this methodology can provide answers to their scientific problems. Because of the highly specialised nature of solid-state NMR the end users would be supported by and could tap into the high-level expertise of the local scientists. If longer projects would be required, they could be pursued as collaborations with the experienced local scientists.