uNMR-NL

Infrastructure and User Services 

The uNMR-NL infrastructure provides access to two state-of-the-art ultra-high-field instruments – 950 MHz in Nijmegen and 1.2 GHz in Utrecht – supporting solution-state and solid-state NMR, as well as microMRI. Additionally, specialized instrumentation is available across four participating universities through the uNMR-NL grid.

The Utrecht University node specializes in solid-state NMR, and aside from the 1.2 GHz system, houses 5 solid-state NMR spectrometers (400 – 800 MHz), including two DNP setups, enhancing sensitivity by up to two orders of magnitude. The node also hosts 4 advanced solution-state NMR systems (500 – 900 MHz) with sample changers and cryoprobes, accessible for users both on-site and remotely.

The Radboud University node houses two liquid-state spectrometers (500, 600 MHz) and 4 solid-state spectrometers (300 – 850 MHz). It also features two multi-purpose spectrometers including the 950 MHz uNMR-NL system, capable of both liquid- and solid-state NMR, and microimaging.

The Leiden University node offers a 750 MHz spectrometer for solid-state NMR, HR-MAS, and microimaging, along with two liquid-state spectrometers (600, 850 MHz) equipped with cryoprobes for enhanced sensitivity.

The Wageningen University node offers a 300 MHz spectrometer capable of rheo-MRI, microimaging, diffusion, and solid-state NMR, a 600 MHz with a cryo-imaging probe, and a 700 MHz for solid-state, HR-MAS, and liquid-state NMR. The liquid-state NMR systems include a walk-up 400 MHz, a 500 MHz, and a 600 MHz spectrometer equipped with a cryoprobe for enhanced sensitivity.

Together, these resources form a comprehensive NMR network, supporting data acquisition and interpretation in a wide range of applications across scientific disciplines.

Examples/description of the type of research 

The development of molecular sciences for materials, food and health critically depends on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. As a non-invasive method, modern NMR represents one out of very few widely applied analytical methods that grows with the development of sciences and has continuously found new and abundant application in virtually all research fields in biology, chemistry, physics and medicine. In fact, the versatility of NMR to characterize equally well all kinds of materials, biomolecules, processes and living organisms makes it an indispensable tool for understanding the fundamentals of nature and for searching for solutions to major societal challenges.

To address these challenges, uNMR-NL bundles instrumentation and expertise of the major Dutch centres for magnetic resonance research in structural biology, materials and metabolic mapping as well as imaging techniques, and provides nation-wide, open access to NMR equipment and analysis, including a new generation of NMR instruments operating at ultra-high field strength, across scientific disciplines and industrial research.

Current research areas include:

• Health and life sciences including drug discovery and biotechnology as well as organoids.
• Materials and Biomaterials ranging from energy storage and efficient catalysts to biobased materials
• Food

How to access the infrastructure?

All relevant information about available equipment and contact persons can be found on the uNMR-NL website. New users interested in exploiting the possibilities of NMR submit a short project proposal and a description of the samples they intend to analyze. The specific details of the experiments will be determined after contacting the facility managers
Users involved in long-standing collaborations with an uNMR-NL partner, or experienced users outside the uNMR-NL consortium, can directly request NMR measurement time through the site facility managers.
For NMR expert users in the research groups hosting the facilities, a first come – first served principle applies.