7th Workshop on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging (MRI/MRS) Applied to Laboratory Animals

News from the SeRMN, NMR Events & Courses, ,

Dates:  24th -27th October 2011

Organized by the SeRMN of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).

This workshop combines a comprehensive series of lectures on the technology of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging (MRS/MRI) with hands-on laboratory sessions to provide practical demonstrations of key concepts and procedures for preclinical studies.

Whether you are considering MRI as a research tool in your lab or just would like to learn more about MRI, this workshop addresses practical aspects of experimental MRI with laboratory animals and provide valuable hands-on experience on a 7 T Bruker BioSpec spectrometer.

Number of participants will be limited to 4.

For the registration, please fill the Registration Form and email it to ,  registration deadline ends October 10th.

See Workshop Brochure for more information or contact Silvia Lope via email.

Measurement of long-range proton-carbon coupling constants from pure in-phase 1D multiplets

Methods & Applications, Our Publications, Our Research, ,

“Measurement of long-range proton-carbon constants from pure in-phase 1D multiplets”, by Juan F. Espinosa, Paloma Vidal, Teodor Parella and Sergi Gil: Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry 49, 502-507 (2011). DOI:10.1002/mrc.2782

A double-selective variant of the SELINCOR pulse sequence yields 1D proton multiplets that exhibit pure absortive in-phase lineshapes for precise measurement of specific long-range proton-carbon coupling constants in small organic molecules at natural abundance. Continue reading Measurement of long-range proton-carbon coupling constants from pure in-phase 1D multiplets →

Revisited mycolic acid pattern of Mycobacterium confluentis using thin-layer chromatography

Our Publications,

“Revisited mycolic acid pattern of Mycobacterium confluentis using thin-layer chromatography”, by Silvia Secanella-Fandos, Marina Luquin, Míriam Pérez-Trujillo, Esther Julián; Journal of Chromatography B, Article in Press (2011). doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2011.08.001

The profile of mycolic acids from Mycobacterium confluentis has not been adequately published. However, the definition of the composition of mycolic acids is a critical element for describing new mycobacterial species. Thus, an erroneously published profile can lead to confusing citations. Continue reading Revisited mycolic acid pattern of Mycobacterium confluentis using thin-layer chromatography →

Experimental evidence of Na2[B12H12] and Na formation in the desorption pathway of the 2NaBH4 + MgH2 system

Our Publications, , , , ,

“Experimental evidence of Na2[B12H12] and Na formation in the desorption pathway of the 2NaBH4+ MgH2 system”, by Sebastiano Garroni, Chiara Milanese, Daphiny Pottmaier, Gabriele Mulas, Pau Nolis, Alessandro Girella, Riccarda Caputo, David Olid-Britos, Francesc Teixidor, Marcello Baricco, Amedeo Marini, Santiago Suriñach, and Maria Dolores Baró. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Volume 115, Pages 16664-16671, July 2011. DOI: 10.1021/jp202341j

In the present work we report the desorption pathway of the 2NaBH4 + MgH2 system. Ex-situ X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and solid state magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements have been performed on samples heat-treated up to 450°C for different times. Ex-situ X-ray powder diffraction experiments conducted on fully desorbed samples allowed to identify nanocrystalline MgB2 and metallic Na as dehydrogenation products. Continue reading Experimental evidence of Na2[B12H12] and Na formation in the desorption pathway of the 2NaBH4 + MgH2 system →

What is DNP? Obtaining enhanced NMR signals for in-vitro and in-vivo applications

Methods & Applications, News from the SeRMN, , ,

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization is the method for obtaining strongly polarised nuclear spins, resulting in enhanced NMR signals for 13C and 15N nuclei in solution-state

Our NMR facility (SeRMN) has recently installed a HyperSense® (Oxford Instruments), a new instrument capable of delivering a huge sensitivity enhancement for your in-vitro and in-vivo applications allowing an easy and quick switching between both applications.

Liquid-state NMR spectroscopy is an important technique into a wide range of applications. However, it is limited by an intrinsically lack of sensitivity due to the low gyromagnetic ratio and natural abundance of the nuclei usually under study (13C, 15N, etc.) as compared with other analytical methods. Continue reading What is DNP? Obtaining enhanced NMR signals for in-vitro and in-vivo applications →

Hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance metabolic imaging in a mouse brain glioma model

Methods & Applications, News from the SeRMN, , , ,

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate is a promising technique to noninvasively monitor metabolic changes in vivo. This method uses dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) techniques to obtain tens of thousands fold enhancement in the polarization of [1-13C]pyruvate and its metabolic products, like lactate, providing sufficient MR signal for high spatial and temporal resolution spectroscopic imaging of these metabolites. Continue reading Hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance metabolic imaging in a mouse brain glioma model →

Structural study of γ,γ-peptides

Our Publications, , , , , , ,

“Synthesis and structural study of highly constrained hybrid cyclobutane-proline γ,γ-peptides” by R. Gutiérrez-Abad, D. Carbajo, P. Nolis, C. Acosta-Silva, J. A. Cobos, O. Illa, M. Royo and R. Ortuño. Aminoacids, Volume 41, pages 673-686, 2011. DOI: 10.1007/s00726-011-0912-4.

Two diastereomeric series of hybrid γ,γ-peptides derived from conveniently protected derivatives of (1R,2S)- and (1S,2R)-3-amino-2,2-dimethylcyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid and cis-4-amino-l-proline joined in alternation have efficiently been prepared through convergent synthesis. Continue reading Structural study of γ,γ-peptides →

Activation of the reactive hydride composite 2NaBH4 + MgH2

Our Publications, , , , ,

“Activation of the reactive hydride composite 2NaBH4 + MgH2” by C. Pistidda, G. Barkhordarian, A. Rzeszutek, S. Garroni, C. Bonatto Minella, M.D. Baró, P. Nolis, Rüdiger Bormann, T. Klassena and M. Dornhei. Scripta Materialia, Volume 64, Issue 11, June 2011, Pages 1035-1038. DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2011.02.017

A novel method to enhance the reaction kinetics of the reactive hydride composite 2NaBH4 + MgH2 is described. It has been discovered that short-term exposure to a moist atmosphere has a very beneficial effect on the desorption reaction of the 2NaBH4 + MgH2 mixture. By this procedure it is possible to achieve, after drying, both faster desorption kinetics and greater amounts of released hydrogen compared to ball-milled material without further treatment.

Trans-cyclobutane β-dipeptides form organogels

Our Publications, , , , , ,

“Self-Assembly of trans-Cyclobutane-Containing β-Dipeptides into Ordered Aggregates”,by E. Gorrea, P. Nolis, E. Torres, E. Da Silva, D. Amabilino, V. Branchadell and R. Ortuño; Chemistry – A European Journal, Volume 17, Issue 16, pages 4588–4597, April 11, 2011. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201002193

Two chiral synthetic β-dipeptides have been constructed, one with two trans-cyclobutane residues and the other with one trans and one cis fragment, 1 and 2, respectively, and investigated to get insight into the non-covalent interactions responsible for their self-assembly to form ordered aggregates, as well into parameters such as their morphology and size. Continue reading Trans-cyclobutane β-dipeptides form organogels →

Fast 1D long-range proton-proton correlations

Methods & Applications, Our Publications, ,

“Selective 1D HCH experiment: a fast NMR tool that connect protons belonging to different spin systems”, by Sergi Gil, Juan Félix Espinosa and Teodor Parella; Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry 49, 301-306 (2011). DOI: 10.1002/mrc.2744

A selective 1D version of the HCH experiment (selHCH) is proposed for the efficient and fast correlation between protons belonging to different spin systems. The experiment consists of two consecutive, doubly selective heteronuclear JCH transfer steps that can individually be optimized. As any conventional proton-selective 1D experiment, the successful application of a frequency-selective 180° pulse on a well-isolated proton is the only practical requirement. Continue reading Fast 1D long-range proton-proton correlations →