Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a sophisticated, powerful and versatile analytical technique that underpins many key research fields. NMR has been used for many years for the quantitative analysis of solutions of single compounds or a mixture of compounds. Spectral databases exist that provide confirmation of identity and structure.
The Centre for Advanced Imaging has a range of NMR spectrometers at different field strengths, including Australia’s highest field strength NMR (900 MHz). Our researchers have extensive experience with a wide variety of NMR studies and are available to provide expert guidance with project planning, data analysis and optimisation.
Example applications include:
- Structure determination: the complete molecular structure and three dimensional conformation of complex biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids can be determined using a suite of NMR experiments. Structure elucidation of synthetic and natural products are regularly performed.
- Ligand screening: technologies for ligand screening have evolved for the detection and optimisation of drug candidates.
- Materials science: NMR is routinely used in material science research, for example, in polymer chemistry and food science.
- Metabolomics: metabolomics utilises the quantitative nature of NMR to analyse biological fluids containing many compounds simultaneously and is at the forefront in the identification of biomarkers for disease characterisation and progression.
The Bruker Avance 700 MHz spectrometer is used in a broad range of life science and materials research. The spectrometer has a cooled high-throughput sample changer that enables metabolomic and fragment library screening.
The ultra-high resolution Bruker Avance Neo 900 MHz spectrometer is a flagship instrument of the QNN facilities, based at the University of Queensland.