Skip to main content
National MagLab logo

The MagLab is funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida.

Tags

Tag: Biology

How MRI Machines Work

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


Sex and the Spineless

We open a can of worms to learn how pheromones  help invertebrates regulate population.


Luigi Galvani

Luigi Galvani was a pioneer in the field of electrophysiology, the branch of science concerned with electrical phenomena in the body.


Edward Purcell

Edward Mills Purcell was an American physicist who received half of the 1952 Nobel Prize for Physics for his development of a new method of ascertaining the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei.


Claude Shannon

Claude Shannon was a mathematician and electrical engineer whose work underlies modern information theory and helped instigate the digital revolution.


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.


Activity Books

Color, connect the dots and word-search to learn about magnets in this cool activity book available both in English and in Spanish.


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.


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.


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.


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.


More Accurate Diagnosis for Multiple Myeloma

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


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. 


Imaging Current Flow in the Brain During Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

Scientists measured the first in vivo images of stimulated current within the brain using an imaging method that may improve reproducibility and safety, and help understand the mechanisms of action of electrical stimulation.


Imaging pH Levels With a Cobalt MRI Probe

A new pH sensitive contrast agent for MR imaging has been developed that produces image contrast based on the local pH and that has great potential for use in living animals and medical diagnostics.


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.


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.


Restoration of Breathing After Drug Overdose and Spinal Cord Injuries

Respiratory insufficiency is a leading cause of death due to drug overdose or spinal cord injuries. The diaphragm can be stimulated using temporal interference (TI) to restore ventilation with minimally invasive electrodes.


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.


18O Water Used to Examine Metabolic Functions

Deuterated water (2H2O) is often used to examine metabolic pathways in humans and animals. However, it can cause toxicity and distort metabolic readings. Here, using nuclear magnetic resonance technology, the researchers showed that a different molecule, 18O water (H218O), can be used instead of deuterated water to provide similar information without the metabolic distortions.


A New DNA Structure Discovered

Scientists can create synthetic imitations of natural polymers, such as DNA, which provide an understanding of how nature works and can confer unique properties to the polymer that enable new applications in biotechnology. Researchers have discovered a new DNA structure can be created by adding a synthetic nucleotide to the DNA sequence. This new structure forms a compact fold that could have significant implications for the use of DNA in chemical sensors and information storage.


Metabolic Assessment of Migraines Using Ultra-High Magnetic Fields

The causes of migraines are not well understood, with treatment limited to addressing pain rather than its origin. Research conducted with hydrogen MRI is attempting to identify the "migraine generator."


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.


Analytical Tool for in Vivo Triple Quantum MR Signals

Magnetic resonance (MR) signals of sodium and potassium nuclei during ion binding are attracting increased attention as a potential biomarker of in vivo cell energy metabolism. This new analytical tool helps describe and visualize the results of MR experiments in the presence of in vivo ion binding.


Finding Water Molecules with Important Biological Activity

A new 17O solid-state NMR technique, employed on the highest-field NMR spectrometer in the world (the 36 T Series Connected Hybrid), identifies water molecules in different layers of a model membrane for the first time.


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.


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. 


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.


Scientists Discover Cheap Fluid That Could Lead to Cheap MRIs

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


MagLab Scientists Capture Molecular Maps of Animal Tissue With Unprecedented Detail

Enabled by a world-record instrument, the images convey vast amounts of data that could be useful in health and pharmaceutical research.


Ancient Meteorite Offers Glimpse at the Origins of our Solar System

MagLab analysis finds the space rock is among the most complex materials.


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 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.


Tracking the "World's Smallest Hunter"

Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory are working to learn more about predatory bacteria called BALOs and what role they could play, from the carbon cycle in our oceans to fighting infectious disease.


Finding and Fingerprinting "Forever Chemicals"

MagLab research works to find and catalog PFAS forever chemicals in our environment.


"Dynamic Dance:" How a Deadly Fungus Adapts to Drug Treatment

Research shows the fungus shuffles and rebuilds its cell wall to defend against antifungal drugs.


MagLab is First in the US with a Cutting-Edge 3D Printer

New tool will enable biological research and bioengineering at a super-small scale, opening the door to improved testing of pharmaceuticals and creation of healthcare nanorobots.


MRI Research at the MagLab

With the most powerful MRI machine in the world, you can do cutting-edge studies on neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, tobacco use, muscles and more.


Sodium Science

Sodium MRI techniques point to better cancer treatments.


Can a Witch’s Hat Help Solve the Spell of Tuberculosis Super Bugs?

New research is a first step toward understanding how a certain protein may help tuberculosis bacteria survive.


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 HiPER 9 Tesla Magnet

This high performance Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) machine is known as the “witches hat” machine because of the black cones to absorb pulses of radiation.

 


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.


A rodent

With the help of the world's strongest MRI machine, a scientist uses a novel technique to pinpoint ground zero for a migraine.



Last modified on 10 August 2022