An Integrative National Infrastructure for Ultra-High-Field NMR in the Physical and Life Sciences

The University of Birmingham has come together with the Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI) in Harwell, University College London, and the Universities of Oxford, Leicester and Southampton to build a consortium of outstanding scientists and infrastructure to host the 1.2 GHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer at the Henry Wellcome Building in Birmingham, a national NMR facility with nearly two decades of experience in serving the UK NMR community.

1.2 GHz is the strongest magnetic field-strength available for high-resolution NMR studies. In the UK, this instrument - currently the only one planned nationwide - will need to serve both the physical and life science communities. To meet this challenge and to ensure that the instrument delivers the highest-quality and most relevant science, we propose a fair and transparent model of time-allocation that is entirely based on the respective needs of the physical and life science communities. Furthermore, our management plan seeks to engage the users in the decision-making processes, as well as in a community endeavour to develop methodologies that fully exploit the capabilities of ultra-high-field (UHF) NMR. This national network will be complemented by a network of international partners operating similar instruments, to ensure that the UK NMR community has a strong voice at the top-table of global UHF NMR research.

We anticipate that 1.2 GHz NMR will transform our understanding in three areas: (1) the spatial and temporal resolution of biological mechanisms; (2) the structure and function of materials at the atomic level; (3) the impact of environmental and chemical agents on live cells and organisms. In all three fields, the gains brought by the 1.2 GHz spectrometer will translate into new and otherwise unreachable discoveries that will benefit human wellbeing. In health and the biological sciences, a better understanding of biological mechanisms will help define novel therapeutic strategies in contexts such...