Biomolecular NMR Facility

The principal mission of the Biomolecular NMR Facility is to provide instrumentation for, and aid in obtaining data on the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules. The Facility offers state-of-the-art instrumentation, training, software and assistance in designing experiments. We strive to help the Vanderbilt community realize the potential of biomolecular NMR and to work with NMR spectroscopists to stay current with the most recent experimental approaches.

• 900 MHz NMR Spectrometer with CPTCI probe (¹H, ²H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N) for high sensitivity on proton and carbon (cold)
• 800 MHz NMR Spectrometer with CPTCI probe (¹H, ²H, ¹³C, ¹⁹F, ¹⁵N) for high sensitivity on proton, carbon and fluorine (cold)
• 600 MHz NMR Spectrometer with CPTCI probe (¹H, ²H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N) for high sensitivity on proton and carbon (cold)
• 600 MHz NMR Spectrometer with BBI probe primarily used for In Vitro Diagnostic research, analyzing biofluids for metabolites and lipid composition

All instruments come with a 600-specimen Sample Changer for high-throughput measurements.

• For more instrument specific and operational information please see this link.
• The Biomolecular NMR Facility at Vanderbilt received its 900MHz NMR spectrometer on May 7, 2011.

• Article in VU Reporter from 2011
• Watch a video of the 2011 magnet delivery

The Small Molecular NMR Facility is located in the Small Molecule NMR Vault adjacent to the Math Building and next to the Biomolecular Facility.

The facility is well equipped for small molecule structural analysis and provides walk on NMR access. The Small Molecule Facility NMR facility operates four instruments, one of them located in a satellite facility in the new research building MRB IV.

• 400 MHz Bruker AV-I-400 spectrometer with sample changer (BACS 60)
• 400 MHz Bruker Nanobay-400 spectrometer with sample changer (Xpresss), located in MRB IV
• 500 MHz Bruker AV-III-500 spectrometer
• 600 MHz Bruker AV-III-600 spectrometer with cryoprobe and LC-SPE accessory

Our recovery plant recovers He at > 90% from all 7 magnets (VUBNMR and SMF) so we are no longer dependent on helium supply and price fluctuations.

Please address all questions and concerns directly to:

• Michael P. Stone, Scientific Director
• Markus Voehler, Director of Operations

Faculty Users Committee

• Michael Stone, Chair, Biophysical Chemistry, Structural NMR Studies of DNA and the Adduction of DNA
• Walter Chazin, Molecular Basis for the Biological Specificity and Biochemical Function of Proteins and Nucleic Acids
• Steve Fesik, Cancer Drug Discovery Using Fragment-Based Approaches and Structure-Based Drug Design
• Doug Kojetin, Defining Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Action
• Jens Meiler, Structural and Chemical Biology, computational and experimental efforts to investigate proteins
• Chuck Sanders, Chair, Structural and Chemical Biology of Membrane Proteins and Related Diseases

Support is available for questions regarding hardware, software and experimental design.

If you are having a hardware problem during scheduled NMR time, please contact a member of the staff immediately.

All other questions, problems, or requests for assistance are best dealt with using the CSB Trouble Ticket System directing your query to the nmr queue. The trouble ticket system allows for documentation that can be of great value in understanding where problems exist. This system is of particular value to the users because it keeps support requests active until resolved and not simply forgotten.

It is imperative that we acknowledge the shared instrumentation grants from NSF and NIH that enabled the purchase of our 900 and the complete upgrade of the rest of our Facility. Each user of the Biomolecular NMR Facility is required to include the following citation in any publication that has data acquired at the Facility.

“Supported in part by grants for NMR instrumentation from the NSF-MRI (0922862), acquisition of a 900 MHz Ultra-High Field NMR spectrometer in 2009; NIH (S10 RR025677) for console upgrades on all biomolecular NMR spectrometers in 2009; NIH (R35GM118089-04S1), a Vanderbilt Trans-Institutional Programs (TIPs) grant to purchase the IVDr equipment in 2019, NIH supplement for the helium liquefier in 2019; NIH S10OD034276 to replace the 800 MHz spectrometer in 2024, accompanied by Vanderbilt University matching funds.”