DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Henrike Heise
• Co-Applicants: Professor Dr. Christoph Janiak; Professor Dr. Lutz Schmitt; Professorin Dr. Claudia Staudt; Professor Dr. Andreas P.M. Weber
• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 209092107

We will introduce high-field DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy to push the limits of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy towards larger systems: High sensitivity provided by DNP will enable us to apply of higher-dimensional (3D and 4D) spectroscopy to proteins which can not be stabilized in concentrations high enough for standard solid-state NMR experiments. In order to increase the resolution, we will develop methods which will exploit the polarization enhancement as a source of information on the topology of membrane proteins. We will also apply signal enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy to the study of protein folding and the study of intermediate states of misfolded proteins in frozen glasses at high sensitivity. Also, the possibility of transferring magnetization to quadrupolar nuclei as 17O and 67Zn will be explored. Applications in our university will be the investigation of membrane transport proteins in different stages: An ABC transporter, the HlyA secretion machinery, and a plastidial phosphate translocator. Furthermore, ongoing studies of metalloorganic frameworks, metallic nanoparticles, functional polymers and soil chemistry will strongly benefit from the possibility to perform DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: FT-Spektrometer mit DNP-Ausrüstung
• Instrumentation Group: 1740 Hochauflösende NMR-Spektrometer