UA gets nuclear imaging device
Posted on: Friday, 5 September 2003, 06:00 CDT
BioFile
The University of Arizona is installing a $1 million nuclear imaging device on campus to help scientists unravel the structures of proteins and other biological molecules to discover the roles they play in disease.
The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, or NMR, Spectroscope is going into the old UA Chemistry building at 1306 E. University Blvd. Researchers plan to use the NMR spectroscope to analyze the changes in proteins that may contribute to the buildup of a substance on the brains of Alzheimer's patients, said Thomas Baldwin, head of the UA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.
The device is also expected to help researchers understand the molecular aspects of such illnesses as cancer, coronary artery disease and arthritis.
The ability of NMR technology to obtain atomic-level images is rivaled only by a technology called X-ray crystallography, which requires molecules to be turned into crystal form.
But NMR has the advantage of making measurements in a watery solution that more closely resembles conditions in living cells.
"Basically, it's a technique that allows you to develop detailed, three-dimensional images of all the atoms while it's in solution," Baldwin said.
NMR uses the magnetic properties of the nucleus of an individual atom to sense the proximity of other atoms.
The UA's new NMR spectroscope also includes a $200,000 device called a cryogenic probe, which super-cools the molecules under analysis.
The cooling increases the device's sensitivity tenfold, requiring less time and material for testing, Baldwin said.
"You only need one-tenth of the amount of the molecule, and sometimes that makes the difference between getting an answer or not," he said, adding that only about a half-dozen of the super- cooled NMR spectroscopes are in use in the United States. Baldwin said the NMR spectroscope was jointly financed by his department, the Institute for Biomedical Science and Biotechnology and the UA colleges of science and medicine, which will share it.
The device, made by Varian Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., will also be available for use on a contract basis to private biotech firms, Baldwin added.
TGen-Mexico deal
Officials with the Translational Genomics Research Institute, or TGen, and the Consortium for the Institute of Genomic Medicine in Mexico signed an agreement on Tuesday to conduct joint research into diseases with major regional significance.
The two groups met last April at TGen's headquarters in Phoenix to outline the goals and programs of both institutes.
Gov. Janet Napolitano, in Mexico to meet with President Vicente Fox, attended the signing ceremony.
Specifically, research efforts will focus on diseases that have a disproportionate impact on members of the Hispanic population, including cancer and diabetes. Gastric cancer is the first project, said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen's president and scientific director.
Bio meetings
The Arizona BioIndustry Association will hold a breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Phoenix Airport Marriott, 1101 North 44th St.
Dr. Louis Kirby of Pivotal Research Centers will speak on new research in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The cost is $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers.
For more information, visit the group's Web site at www.azbioindustry.org.
The BioIndustry Organization of Southern Arizona, or BioSA, will hold a cross-cluster Idea Funding seminar Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Manning House, 450 W. Paseo Redondo.
The event will be followed by a poster idea session and Tech Schmooze networking event until 6:30 p.m.
BioSA will hold its next breakfast meeting Friday, Oct. 3, from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive. The guest speaker will be Dr. John McGrath, head of the UA Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department.
Cost of the breakfast is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
For more information or to register, e-mail hrri@comcast.net, or visit the BioSA Web site at www.bio-sa.org.
Contact reporter David Wichner at 573-4181 or wichner@azstarnet.com.
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