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The UK’s most powerful solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) apparatus set to keep powering pioneering research

UK researchers will continue to gain new insights into vital high tech engineering materials and novel pharmaceuticals thanks to a new £2.7m contract to support a national research facility in the University of Warwick’s Centre for Magnetic Resonance.

The contract means that the UK 850 MHz Solid-State NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Facility will be in operation for a further five years.NMR

The NMR Facility, hosted at the University of Warwick and managed by a consortium of seven UK universities, allows researchers to gain a detailed understanding of the structure and motion of molecules which will help in the creation of new materials.

Further to Warwick, the consortium comprises the Universities of Cambridge, Glasgow, Lancaster, Nottingham, Southampton and St Andrews.

Since its launch in 2010 the NMR Facility has been used by researchers from 22 institutions and contributed to a diverse range of innovative research projects across many scientific disciplines, including:

  • Developing battery technology/fuel cells

  • Safe storage for Nuclear Waste

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Designing more efficient Biofuels

  • Alzheimer research

  • Osteoporosis and new insights into bone structure

The NMR Facility is currently used 24 hours a day 365 days a year and is aimed at solid-state NMR spectroscopists and their collaborators.

Commenting on the NMR Facility’s success Professor Steven Brown, from the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics, said:

“The NMR Facility is a flagship national success for shared equipment and multi-disciplinary research. Since its launch it has contributed to a broad range of ground-breaking research and we look forward to continue doing so in the years ahead.

“NMR spectroscopy is a vital analytical tool across science. It is a powerful technique that can provide detailed information on the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of molecules in solution and the solid state.”

ENDS.

1 April 2015

Notes for Editors:

  • The contract, awarded, by the EPSRC, is for three years in the first instance with possible extension for a further two years.

  • The Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £850m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

  • 10% of the funding for the NMR Facility is from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)- the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £470 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Contacts:

Tom Frew – International Press Officer, University of Warwick

Email: a.t.frew@warwick.ac.uk

Tel: +44(0)2476575910