Purchase of 800 MHz NMR Spectrometer

科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的Arthur Pardi博士获得了一笔赠款，为购买最先进的800 MHz核磁共振(核磁共振)光谱仪提供部分资金。落基山地区的三所大学：科罗拉多大学、博尔德大学、科罗拉多大学健康科学中心(UCHSC)和犹他大学医学院将共同使用该仪器。这种高场核磁共振将有利于七个主要用户(博尔德的A.Pardi博士和D.S.Wuttke博士；犹他州的W.L.Sundquist博士和D.R.Davis博士；UCHSC的B.K.Bendiak博士、D.N.M.Jones博士和M.J.Overduin博士)以及三个机构和落基山地区的其他次要用户的研究计划。各种研究计划的重点是蛋白质、核酸和碳水化合物的结构-功能研究。最近的方法学发展使得能够获得比以前大得多的大分子的非常高分辨率的核磁共振谱。这些强大的新技术在超高磁场下最有效，所需的800 MHz核磁共振将使该联盟的成员有可能极大地加强他们对更大、更复杂的大分子的研究计划。该仪器将加速下列领域新的和正在进行的研究项目：寡糖结构和细胞表面碳水化合物-蛋白质相互作用-B.K.Bendiak；艾滋病毒引物/模板复合体的结构研究-D.R.Davis；与疾病有关的蛋白质和碳水化合物的结构-功能研究-D.N.M.Jones；膜相关蛋白的结构、相互作用和动力学-M.J.Overduin；RNA-A.Pardi的结构-功能研究；艾滋病毒-1组装和萌芽的结构研究-W.I.Sundquist；生物重要分子识别的结构研究-D.S.Wuttke。目前，主要用户可以使用较低磁场的核磁共振仪器，因此800 MHz核磁共振将专门用于对该仪器的高场、高分辨率和高灵敏度有明显需求的项目。除了使用800 MHz核磁共振来确定具有生物重要性的大分子的溶液结构外，一些主要用户还积极参与改进的技术的开发，以确定溶液中生物分子的结构。因此，这种超高场核磁共振也将被用来帮助开发新的方法，以探测比以前可能的更大的蛋白质、RNA、DNA和碳水化合物的结构和动力学。人们越来越意识到生物分子的结构/功能研究为人类医学和保健带来革命性变化的潜力。核磁共振波谱和X射线结晶学是确定生物大分子高分辨结构的两种技术。在这台800兆赫核磁共振仪上进行的研究将带来技术创新，最大限度地利用有关潜在药物靶标的结构和动态信息，帮助开发针对癌症、病毒和微生物感染以及发育性疾病的改进疗法。收购这一最先进的800 MHz核磁共振还将对财团中三所大学的研究生、博士后研究人员、本科生和教师的教育培训产生重大影响。这7大用户群体共同支持了大量的研究生和本科生、博士后研究人员和技术人员。获得这一用于蛋白质、碳水化合物和核酸溶液结构研究的最先进仪器将提供一个绝佳的培训机会，使这些核磁共振用户拥有更高水平的专业知识。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Arthur Pardi at University of Colorado, Boulder that provides partial funding for purchase of a state-of-the-art 800 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. A consortium of three Universities in the Rocky Mountain Region; the University of Colorado, Boulder, the University of Colorado Health Science Center (UCHSC) and the University of Utah School of Medicine, will equally share this instrument. This high field NMR will benefit the research programs of the seven major users (Drs. A. Pardi and D.S. Wuttke at Boulder; Drs. W.L. Sundquist and D.R. Davis at Utah; and Drs. B. K. Bendiak, D.N.M. Jones, and M.J. Overduin at UCHSC) as well as other minor users at the three institutions and in the Rocky Mountain Region. The various research programs are focused on structure-function studies of proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates. Recent methodological developments allow acquisition of very high-resolution NMR spectra on much larger macromolecules than was previously possible. These powerful new techniques are most effective at ultra-high magnetic fields, and the requested 800 MHz NMR will make it possible for the members of this consortium to dramatically enhance their research programs on larger and more complex macromolecules. This instrument will accelerate new and ongoing research projects in the following areas: Oligosaccharide Structures and Cell Surface Carbohydrate-Protein Interactions - B. K. Bendiak; Structural Studies of HIV Primer/Template Complex - D. R. Davis; Structure-Function Studies of Proteins and Carbohydrates Involved in Disease - D. N. M. Jones; Structures, Interactions and Dynamics of Membrane-Associated Proteins - M. J. Overduin; Structure-Function Studies of RNA - A. Pardi; Structural Studies of HIV-1 Assembly and Budding - W. I. Sundquist; Structural Studies of Biologically Important Molecular Recognition - D. S. Wuttke. The major users currently have access to lower magnetic field NMR instrumentation so the 800 MHz NMR will be exclusively used for projects that have a demonstrated need for the higher field, higher resolution and higher sensitivity of this instrument. In addition to using the 800 MHz NMR to determine solution structures of biologically important macromolecules, some of the major users are actively involved in development of improved techniques for determining structures of biomolecules in solution. Thus this ultra-high field NMR will also be used to aid in the development of new methods for probing the structures and dynamics of larger proteins, RNAs, DNAs, and carbohydrates than was previously possible. There is a growing awareness of the potential of structure/function studies of biomolecules for revolutionizing human medicine and health care. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography are the two techniques for determining high-resolution structures of biomolecules. The research performed on this 800 MHz NMR instrument will lead to technological innovations that maximize structural and dynamical information on potential drug targets which can aid in the development of improved therapies for cancer, viral and microbial infections and developmental diseases. The acquisition of this state-of-the-art 800 MHz NMR will also have significant impact on the educational training of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, undergraduates, and faculty at the three Universities in the consortium. The 7 major users groups together support a large number of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and technical staff. Access to this state-of-the-art instrument for solution structural studies of proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids will provide an outstanding training opportunity, leading to much higher level of expertise of these NMR users.