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Tag: Biochemistry

How MRI Machines Work

Watch how radio waves and strong magnets combine to create pictures of the inside of our bodies.


MRI: A Guided Tour

These awesome diagnostic tools, powered by strong superconducting magnets, save countless lives with their ability to pinpoint tumors and other abnormalities.


World’s Strongest Human MRI

Pack a sack lunch and load up! We're hitting the road to learn how this massive magnet tracks sodium moving through your brain.


Across the Tree of Life: Radiation Resistance Gauged by High-Field EPR

This high-field EPR study of the H-Mn2+ content in the bacterium Deinococcus Radiodurans provides the strongest known biological indicator of cellular ionizing radiation resistance between and within the three domains of the tree of life, with potential applications including optimization of radiotherapy.


Making a Non-Heme Oxoiron(IV) Complex a Better Oxidant

This work investigates a series of oxoiron complexes that serve as models towards understanding the mechanism of catalysis for certain iron-containing enzymes.


Scientists Observe Molecular Movements in T Cells

Insights into the structure and movement of T cell surface proteins could lead to new ways to fight cancers, infections and other diseases.


Tuberculosis Metalloproteins Probed With High-Field Electron Magnetic Resonance

High-magnetic-field time-resolved electron magnetic resonance was used to probe the unusual manganese/iron complex that is believed to play a role in the disease-producing activity of tuberculosis “superbugs,” revealing a vacancy in the vicinity of the manganese that is believed to enable a target molecule to bind to the metal ion.


Terahertz EPR Spectroscopy in the High-Homogeneity 36T Series-Connected Hybrid Magnet

New instrumentation allows electron magnetic resonance experiments to be performed in the lab’s flagship 36 T Series-Connected Hybrid magnet, unlocking exceptionally high-resolution EMR spectra at the highest magnetic fields.


Targeted annotation of peptides by selective infrared multiphoton dissociation mass spectrometry

Protein oxidative damage is a common occurrence in a number of diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular disease. Yet, little is known about its contribution to these illnesses. We developed a new technique, utilizing an infrared laser in combination with a mass spectrometer, to selectively identify sites of oxidation in complex protein mixtures. This sensitive and rapid platform may outperform current techniques and thus shed light on the involvement of oxidative damage in each of these diseases.


Ancient porphyrins indicate far earlier date for photosynthesis

Molecular fossils of chlorophyll (called porphyrins) more than 1.1 billion years old find suggest that photosynthesis began 600 million years earlier than previously established.


Researchers demonstrate method for analyzing molecules from bacteria cell walls

Scientists will be able to apply the technique to characterize similar molecules, helping develop vaccines and drugs to treat bacterial infection.


Identification of abnormal hemoglobin from human blood

Precise determination of hemoglobin sequence and subunit quantitation from human blood for diagnosis of hemoglobin-based diseases.


Sunlight Produces Water-Soluble Chemicals from Asphalt

Road asphalt is made from aggregate (rocks) mixed with a "binder” from the residue remaining after extraction of gasoline and oils from petroleum crude oil. Until recently, this binder was thought to be chemically unreactive. Maglab scientists subjected a thin film of asphalt binder to simulated sunlight in the laboratory and used ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to reveal thousands of new, water-soluble chemicals that could be released into the environment by rainfall.


Makeup of Dissolved Organic Matter in Arctic Rivers

Researchers share new insights on the role of seasonality in dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition in large Arctic rivers. Researchers share new insights on the role of seasonality in dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition in large Arctic rivers. 


Sunlight converts plastics into diverse chemical mixtures

Sunlight can chemically transform plastics from consumer plastic bags into complex chemical mixtures that leach into the ocean. Understanding the impact of plastic pollution requires advanced analytical techniques that can identify transformed plastic molecules in water samples, and requires instrumentation only available at the MagLab.


The Blood Proteoform Atlas: A reference map of proteoforms in human blood cells

A new Blood Proteoform Atlas maps 30,000 unique proteoforms as they appear in 21 different cell types found in human blood. The MagLab's 21 tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometer contributed nearly a third of the atlas' proteoforms.


A Deep Dive Into Forever Chemical Dark Matter

Using the world's most powerful mass spectrometer, scientists have developed a new method to profile complex PFAS mixtures at the molecular level, facilitating future PFAS characterization in support of environmental and human health studies.


More Accurate Diagnosis for Multiple Myeloma

New technique could lead to precise, personalized cancer diagnosis and monitoring.


Pavement Sealant Leaches Environmental Contaminants

New research shows that high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in coal tar pavement sealants are oxidized into toxic, water-soluble compounds by sunlight and subsequently washed into the environment by rainwater, polluting natural water systems, negatively impacting marine ecosystems and public health. 


Mapping the KRAS Proteoform in Colorectal Cancer

Researchers used the MagLab to produce the first clarified map of KRAS proteins in colon cancer tumors. Twenty-eight additional forms of the KRAS protein were discovered, including a new form of the protein (called clipped-KRAS) that does not bind to the cell membrane, instead serving as a kind of on-off switch to regulate cell growth. These findings may help yield future cancer treatments. 


Scouring Drinking Water for Disinfection Byproducts

Identification of toxic compounds in drinking water formed through disinfection reveals more than 3500 toxic, chlorinated species that can only be observed by the MagLab's high powered analytical instruments.


Evolution of the Molecules of Life on Distant Planets

The 21T FT-ICR MS instrument enables the molecular characterization of atmospheric hazes - like that on Saturn’s moon, Titan - and water vapor to better understand the evolution of biological molecules in exoplanet atmospheres. 


"Molecular Sieves" Could Lead to Much Cheaper Gas Production

Combining high-field NMR with infrared microscopy, scientists learned more about how gas diffuses in a novel class of molecular sieves that could one day be used for gas separation.


NMR-Based Metabolomics of Coral with Resistance to Bleaching

Three variants of the coral species A cervicornis were found to have unique metabolic signatures that can be distinguished by NMR spectroscopy. Differing levels of the metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide, an important compound that protects against nitrogen overload, can distinguish the three variants studied. Understanding how species vary metabolically, and how that translates to species survival in stressed environments, may help us to establish desirable traits that could help with restoration and other interventions.


MRI Detects Brain Responses to Alzheimer's Disease Plaque Deposits and Inflammation

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of mouse models for Alzheimer’s disease can be used to determine brain response to plaque deposits and inflammation that ultimately disrupt emotion, learning, and memory. Quantification of the early changes with high resolution MRI could help monitor and predict disease progression, as well as potentially suggest new treatment methods.


Deuterium Magnetic Resonance Can Detect Cancer Metabolism

Magnetic resonance of cancer cell metabolism is a novel technique to discern between cancerous and normal liver cells, providing a promising approach for cancer stage progression imaging without the harmful exposure of radiation.


Using Magnetic Resonance to Probe Lipid Synthesis in Response to Ketogenic Diet

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and its progression to more serious diseases will become the main cause for liver transplant in the next 5 years. Here, researchers used deuterium magnetic resonance to study dietary influences on lipid synthesis demonstrating that high fat ketogenic diets significantly slow de novo lipogenesis, a process by which excess carbohydrates are covered into fatty acids and stored as triacylglycerols.


HTS NMR Probe Tracks Metabolism Cycles During Insect Dormancy

An insect's ability to survive anaerobic conditions (without oxygen) during winter pupation occurs through periodic cycling of aerobic respiration pathways needed to recharge energy and clear waste. The cellular mechanisms at play during these brief near-arousal periods can provide clues to help improve the success in storage and transplant of human organs.


Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Peat Wetland Ecosystems

Understanding the organic composition of peat wetland soils can determine whether the carbon sources may be converted into carbon dioxide gas, work that could improve existing climate models and better predict the impact of increasing carbon dioxide to wetland ecosystems.


Atomic-Level Insights into How Polymers Improve Protein Therapeutics

Using NMR, researchers determined a molecular model of a protein-polymer conjugate, providing new insights into how polymers can be used to make protein drugs more robust.


Different Protein Receptor Responses Resulting from Different Membrane Environments

Special protein-coupled receptors play a role in nearly all physiological responses and are targets for more than 1/3 of all FDA-approved drugs. State-of-the art instrumentation at the MagLab allowed researchers to explore the effects of different lipid compositions on receptor activation, hinting that hereditary or dietary factors may influence the effectiveness of drugs.


Uncovering the Secrets of Fungal Cell Walls

With unprecedented sensitivity and resolution from state-of-the-art magnets, scientists have identified for the first time the cell wall structure of one of the most prevalent and deadly fungi.


Scientists Identify Potential Biomarker for Brain Diseases

With advanced techniques and world-record magnetic fields, researchers have detected new MRI signals from brain tumors.


Imaging Enzyme Active Site Chemistry Using Multiple Fields up to 35.2T

This new technique for mapping out atom placements in the active site of enzymes could unlock the potential for finding new therapeutics.


Integration of 17O into the Biomolecular Toolkit

Combining high magnetic fields, specialized probes, and measurement techniques, this work adds the crucial 17O nucleus into the study of biomolecules like peptides, proteins, and enzymes. 


Inside Velvet Worm Slime: Rare Protein Modification for Fast Fiber Formation

A protein modification rarely found in terrestrial animals was discovered in the slime of the velvet worm. This slime, which is projected for prey capture and self defence, turns into strong, sticky, water-soluble fibers. Dynamic nuclear polarization - nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP-NMR) facilities at the MagLab were used to understand the molecular structure of these fibers, work that may inspire the development and production of new classes of sustainable, advanced materials.


ICR FAIR Data: Improves Understanding of Protein Fragmentation

Reuse of the MagLab's Ion Cyclotron Resonance facility data improved understanding of protein fragmentation and aided the design and release of new algorithms and software tools. This is representative of a new type of MagLab user: A Data User – who accesses MagLab data from public data repositories to advance independent research goals. 


AMRIS FAIR Data: Standardizing Rat Brain Imaging Datasets

Datasets of rat brain imaging can be difficult to compare due to the different conditions used to collect them. The Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (AMRIS) Facility participated in a multi-institution study to develop a standardized protocol for functional MRI rat brain datasets, work that will help data be reused effectively to yield new discoveries. 


Bi-2212 High-Temperature Superconducting Test Coils up to 34T

High magnetic fields are essential for many exciting scientific and industrial applications including next-generation MRI, particle accelerators, fusion, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here, a Bi-2212 high-temperature superconducting test coil demonstrated robust operation up to 34T, expanding the options for future magnet development pathways. 


An R&D Milestone for Bi-2212 High Temperature Superconducting Magnets

High temperature superconducting magnets offer tremendous potential for technological advancements and scientific discoveries, making them essential in various aspects of modern society. This work focuses on a milestone in mechanical reinforcement and overall operation of a Bi-2212 magnet.


National MagLab Racks up New Record with Hybrid Magnet

Combining tremendous strength with a high-quality field, the MagLab’s newest instrument promises big advances in interdisciplinary research.


Study on Motor Neuron Proteins Lands on Cover of Cell

Research sheds new light on the formation of harmful structures that can lead to neurodegenerative diseases.


MagLab’s Newest World-Record Magnet Open for Science

State-of-the-art ion cyclotron resonance magnet system offers researchers significantly more power and accuracy than ever before.


Scientists Discover Cheap Fluid That Could Lead to Cheap MRIs

Finding could make pricey, massive scanners a thing of the past.


New NMR Director Takes the Helm

As head of nuclear magnetic resonance at the MagLab's Tallahassee headquarters, Rob Schurko hopes to expand capabilities and build new magnets.


"Water Wires" May Play Bigger Role in Cell Functions

New insights challenge current understanding of how ion transport through some cell membranes works.


FT-ICR Facility Gets New World-Record Magnet

The MagLab and the Bruker Corporation have installed the world’s first 21 tesla magnet for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry.


NIH Invests in MagLab Biomedical Advances

Improving technology for research of biomolecules and advancing our understanding of health and disease.


Cracking the Chemical Code of the "Silly String of Death"

MagLab analysis provides new insight about the molecular composition of velvet worm slime, which has long fascinated scientists because of its remarkable qualities.


MagLab Scientist Honored for Contributions to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

MagLab NMR Facility Director Rob Schurko was awarded the Vold Prize for his contributions to the field of solid-state NMR over the past 25 years.


MagLab to analyze environmental impact of Maui wildfires

"We're opening up the world at a molecular level to understand how these fires are going to impact us."


MagLab Investigates the Structure of a Key COVID-19 Protein

Researchers are working to characterize the virus’ envelope protein, or E protein, believed to be key to virus activity.


MagLab Celebrates Invention that Transformed Chemistry Research, and the Man Behind it

The first mass spectrum from Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance happened in December 1973. The co-inventor went on to build MagLab’s world-renowned program.


MagLab Collaborates on Sustainable Jet Fuel Research

Fuel made from corn harvest waste would reduce greenhouse emissions by 70%.


Shattering STEM Stereotypes

A MagLab biomedical engineering research group blazes a trail for women in science.


Combatting COVID: Digging Deeper for COVID-Causing Proteins

Researcher digs below the coronavirus's membrane in search of another layer of infection-causing proteins. 


Combatting COVID: Setting the Science Straight on a COVID Protein

For membrane protein expert Tim Cross, solving the structure of a misunderstood protein put retirement on hold.


Combatting COVID: COVID Drug-Target Dragnet

The virus that causes COVID-19 has thousands of potential drug targets. A global team is on a hunt for the best candidates.


Surprise Under the Surface

Why do electrons behave bizarrely near the surface of some materials? At the dividing line between two things, there’s often no hard line at all. Rather, there’s a system, phenomenon or region rich in diversity or novel behavior — something entirely different from the two things that created it.


Combating Cancer

Scientists are using powerful magnets to learn how to better detect, treat and track the second leading cause of death worldwide.


MagLab Tests a New Way to Look at the Lungs

MagLab researchers and doctors at the University of Florida are testing a new MRI technique that can deliver images of the lungs like never before


Meet the 21 Tesla ICR Magnet

Used to perform complex chemical analysis, this magnet offers researchers the world's highest field for ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.


Meet Kendra Frederick

It's freaking hard to examine proteins closely in their native habitat. With the help of very clever magnet instrumentation, University of Texas scientist Kendra Frederick is up for the challenge.


Meet Andreas Neubauer

Andreas Neubauer took the extended stay option during his recent trip to the MagLab. After all, you can't rush art — especially when it's mixed with science.


Meet Nur Gueneli

Paleobiogeochemist (no, that's not a typo) Nur Gueneli put some ancient dirt into our magnets to learn more about the Earth's earliest inhabitants.


Hemoglobin

ICR technology helps identify new kinds of hemoglobin abnormalities.


Peat Soil

Looking for clues on climate change, a scientist digs up the dirt on peat from around the world.


From Kansas to MIT: Long's Long Road to a Career in Chemistry

Each day at work, Long, tackles the twin duties of providing administrative leadership for a growing program, and her own scientific research.



Last modified on 10 August 2022