 |
Magnets don’t cure cancer. But researchers using the high-resolution 900 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer at The University of Queensland (UQ) just might.
Dr Justine Hill from the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences at UQ is using the 900MHz spectrometer to view the three-dimensional structures of proteins involved in cell death and inflammation, and the molecular basis for their interactions.
"This machine will help us to further understand these key biological processes and provide a foundation for the development of new treatments for cancer and inflammatory disease.
Dr Hill said the machine was an invaluable tool for scientists working at the leading edge of structural biology, bio-discovery and drug design.
"Information obtained from these studies will hopefully help us design new drugs for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and many other diseases that can reduce the quality of life in people worldwide," she said.
Dr Hill said the spectrometer based at UQ is the centrepiece of a new $17 million Queensland Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Network.
The Queensland Government contributed $5 million through the Smart State Research Facilities Fund to help establish the network.
"It is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, is powered by a superconductor and has a magnetic field 40,000 times stronger than the Earth’s," Dr Hill said.
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a key technology for determining the structure of molecules and for visualizing the anatomy of living tissue and microscopic structure and has helped revolutionize chemistry, physics, diagnostic medicine and structural biology.
"The technology at UQ is world-class and will attract leading national and international scientists to pursue their research goals in Queensland," she said.
Last reviewed 3 April 2007