Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer Resource

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying structural and conformational parameters of molecules. This tool is vital for the chemical analysis of both small molecules (like those discovered in small-molecule screens) and large molecules, such as carbohydrates and proteins found to have potential biologic importance. NERCE has jointly purchased a 600 MHz NMR to support several projects and to provide analytical resources to NERCE investigators throughout the region. The instrument is located on the Harvard Medical School campus in Boston, MA.

Resources and Services available

• 600 MHz configuration. The high resolution and sensitivity of a 600 MHz instrument is of particular benefit for the analysis of mixtures of secondary products, which are frequently presented by biologically active samples.
• Probes. This instrument is equipped with two probes, a 5 mm z-gradient inverse HCN probe, and a z-gradient inverse HX CapNMR microflow probe. The 5 mm z-gradient probe will be used for larger samples of small molecules, the study of interactions of small molecules with larger biomolecules (e.g.,proteins), and for the analysis of raw extracts consisting of mixtures of secondary products. The CapNMR probe will be used primarily for the structural characterization of biologically active materials that are available only at extremely low quantities.
• CapNMR. The recently developed “CapNMR” probe system (www.protasis.com) is specifically designed for the characterization of extremely limited quantities of small molecules. The CapNMR system is expected to provide an increase in mass sensitivity by a factor of four or more compared to traditional 5 mm probes, similar to the gain in mass sensitivity achieved by cryo probes., while avoiding many of the problems commonly associated with cryo probes.

Application: Investigators interested in accessing the NMR resource should visit the EQNMR Website, complete the User Authorization Form, and send it to:

Charles Sheahan
charles_sheahan@hms.harvard.edu

Fees: There are no fees for use of the NMR resource for research related to NIAID priority pathogens and agents of emerging infectious disease.

Contact	Gregory Heffron gregory_heffron@hms.harvard.edu
	Charles Sheahan charles_sheahan@hms.harvard.edu 617-432-1812 617-432-4383 (fax) http://eqnmr.med.harvard.edu/