Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Facility

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Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a key technology essential to investigations in a variety of fields that underpin research into biomolecular chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural product discovery, peptide chemistry and materials science.

For example, NMR is one of only two techniques available for complete determination of the structure of proteins, providing the fundamental molecular information used in drug design programs.

NMR targets magnetic nuclei by aligning them with an applied constant magnetic field and perturbing this alignment using an alternating magnetic field. The intramolecular magnetic field around an atom in a molecule changes the resonance frequency, thus giving access to details of the electronic structure of the molecule and its individual functional groups.

 IMB is part of the Queensland NMR Network (QNN), which supports a developing biotechnology industry in this state by enabling access to world-class facilities and industry-leading software.

The facility also holds collaborations with researchers from other Australian universities as well as several international collaborators from industry and academia, most recently with scientists from Europe, China, and the US.

Our services and capabilities

Our instruments are used for the following applications:

  • determination of high-resolution structures of biological macromolecules such as proteins
  • characterisation of protein/ligand interactions
  • determination of molecular size and oligomerisation state
  • metabonomic studies of various biofluids.

Key achievements

Using our NMR facilities, researchers have successfully characterised a number of novel peptides and venoms, including neurotoxic peptides from the venom of the Giant Australian Stinging Tree, plant defensins with antifungal activity, disulfide mimetics of the cyclic peptide framework of sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1, and venoms from cone snails, snakes and centipedes.

Standard research services

  • The NMR facility is available to internal and external researchers on a user-pays basis.
  • With training you may conduct your own experiments, or we can process samples for you.
  • Additionally, our highly-trained staff can assist with interpretation and analysis of results.
  • Please contact the Facility Manager for further details.

Systems and equipment

Contacts

Dr Peta Harvey
Manager, NMR Spectroscopy Facility
  peta.harvey@imb.uq.edu.au
  +61 7 334 62925


General enquires

  +61 7 334 62100
  imb@imb.uq.edu.au


Mail address

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Facility

Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Level 2W
Building 80

306 Carmody Road
University of Queensland
4072, St Lucia,
Queensland, Australia


Bookings

Please contact the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Faility Manager

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