NMR Knowledge Base / Ezine
Feel the pulse: fundamental facts
Date: Nov 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) spectroscopy and single molecule fluorescent spectroscopy have been used to probe a fundamental physical phenomenon - an ergodic experiment that reveals how a dynamic system gives the same mean result as would a single particle in repeated experiments.
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Novel route to haem: pigmented chemistry
Date: Oct 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Researchers in the UK and Portugal, have used NMR spectroscopy to reveal a new way in which nature makes heme - the component that gives blood its colour and allows red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body.
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Spectroscopic solution: NMR accesses membrane protein structures
Date: Oct 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Membrane proteins mediate so much of the information flow between cells and their surroundings. Understanding their molecular structure will inevitably give scientists insights into function and form as well as providing targets for novel pharmaceuticals when these proteins go awry.
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Street NMR: Testing times for "bath salts"
Date: Sep 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A new NMR screening technique for testing samples of unlisted but illicit street drugs, often sold as "bath salts", can reveal components not normally detected by standard chromatographic methods, according to researchers speaking at the meeting of the American Chemical Society at the end of August.
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Supercapacitor: Conducting future energy storage
Date: Sep 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A new generation of power supply materials with a high energy density is being keenly sought by the manufacturers of electric vehicles, notebook computers and other portable devices. A novel supercapacitor material studied with NMR and IR spectroscopy and other techniques could be suitable for replacing current rechargeable battery materials.
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Parasitic nutrition: NMR reveals new drug targets
Date: Aug 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
NMR spectroscopy has provided researchers with insights into how parasitic organisms exploit nutrients provided by the host organism. The work could open up a new approach to finding unique drug targets and in the present study, specifically against the tropical parasite Leishmania.
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Spliced: NMR reveals structural clue to transcription
Date: Aug 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Biomolecular NMR experts in Germany have discovered how the U2AF protein facilitates the process of splicing used by cells to make the correct template for RNA transcription and the subsequent expression of proteins.
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Coupling spectroscopy and chromatography: Microfluidic portability
Date: Jul 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A US team has paired the remote-detection version of NMR spectroscopy with a chromatography technique used in microfluidic devices. The work opens the way to portable and highly sensitive multi-dimensional chemical analysis.
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A fully baked idea: Hydrogen storage
Date: Jul 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Many observers suggest that hydrogen produced from sustainable sources could lead us into a low-carbon economy that derives its energy from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels. NMR spectroscopy has played a part in experiments that demonstrate how so-called "baking soda" might help researchers cook up a safe way to store this hazardous gas.
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Molecular ascent or descent: NMR and XRD look at Penrose-type molecule
Date: Jun 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
The molecular equivalent of M.C. Escher's optical illusion of the perpetually climbing stair has been constructed by Japanese chemists and tracked with NMR spectroscopy.
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