MRI: Acquisition of a 500 MHz NMR to Enhance Research and Training

Utah State University, Logan UT

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Professor Lisa Berreau from Utah State University and colleagues Cheng-Wei Chang, Alvan Hengge, Yujie Sun and Jixun Zhan will acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer. In general, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (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. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies will have an impact in synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research by postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students at Utah State University, the USDA Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, and the regional USU campus at the Uintah Basin. It will also impact outreach activities involving minority student populations. The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) advancing metabolic engineering and synthetic biology; (b) understanding the roles of metals in biological systems and developing reagents for biological use; (c) developing new carbohydrate-containing molecules with useful biological activities; (d) understanding the details of phosphate ester hydrolysis reactivity in biological systems; (e) developing new catalysts for water splitting reactivity with relevance to solar energy production; (f) identifying poisonous plant toxins; and (g) advancing natural products synthesis.