The Facility houses instrumentation essential for Biomolecular NMR research and was developed through funding of the Center for Structural Biology. Consequently, priority is given to Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty, staff, and students who are pursuing research in biomolecular NMR.聽 Broadly defined, biomolecular NMR experiments are performed on biological macromolecules, or complexes of biological macromolecules, including but not necessarily limited to, proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, oligosaccharides, and lipids, and are usually conducted in aqueous buffer. NMR data collection on other types of molecules, or in solvents other than aqueous buffer, is possible, but requires several adjustments of the controlling parameters. Prospective users with experiments not falling within the general regime of biomolecular NMR should inquire with Dr. Michael Stone, Chair of the User Committee.
Every effort is made to accommodate the access needs of all Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 users in a timely manner. Biomolecular NMR experiments are time-intensive. The amount of sample is often limited, requiring substantial signal averaging to achieve reasonable signal-to-noise ratios, even with high magnetic fields or cryogenic probes. The complexity of the NMR spectra for large molecules generally mandates multi-dimensional data acquisition, also a time-intensive process. In many instances, samples are unstable, necessitating data collection before sample decomposition occurs.聽 In other instances, users must follow the time course of a biochemical process, necessitating multiple complex measurements as a function of time. Finally, because this is complex instrumentation, individual spectrometers in the facility may require unexpected maintenance and repair. Consequently, all users of the biomolecular NMR facility must be cognizant of the fact that there may often be a substantial wait for access to the instrumentation. Indeed, 鈥渨alk-up鈥 use of the instrumentation is not possible. When the NMR instrumentation is subject to high demand, the Biomolecular NMR Facility staff may find it necessary to prioritize individual experiments and to re-schedule the experiments of individual users, so as to utilize the NMR instrumentation as efficiently and as effectively as is possible. In appropriate instances, individual users may be requested to shift their experiments to other instruments, e.g., to a lower magnetic field strength instrument, or a non-cryoprobe-equipped instrument, if in the judgment of the facility staff, the experiments in question could be successfully conducted on another instrument. Oversight of instrument utilization and potential conflict resolution are handled by a faculty user committee.