Attack of the 8-ton Super Conducting Magnet

If you’ve ever taken an organic chemistry class, then you’ve learned about NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). NMR is a pretty impressive technology that allows scientists to discern a chemical’s structure from a series of severely cryptic peaks (which led to much hair-pulling in the undergraduate years) using superconducting magnets.
Billionaire Richard H. Murdock (168th richest man in the world) decided that 900 MHz self-shielded super-conducting magnets just weren’t enough, so he bought and donated the world’s first and only 950 MHz actively self-shielded magnet to North Carolina State. From the press release:

David H. Murdock, chairman and owner of Castle & Cooke, Inc. and Dole Food Company, Inc., announced today that he is purchasing the world’s first and only actively shielded 950 MHz superconducting magnet, which he intends to donate to the soon to be formed non-profit David H. Murdock Research Institute. The Institute will be located on the North Carolina Research Campus.
The two-story, eight ton machine, known as the Avance II 950 US2, will allow scientists to delve into the three dimensional structures of molecules and study their interactions with greater clarity than ever before, significantly enhancing such key areas of research as drug development and nutrition.
At the announcement, Mr. Murdock was joined by representatives from the manufacturer, Bruker BioSpin, and partner universities, community colleges and corporations.
“Access to a Bruker actively shielded 950 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer will assist in countless efforts at North Carolina State University,” said Dr. Steven Leath, Associate Dean and Director of Agricultural and Life Sciences Research at NC State University. “Programs that will be significantly enhanced include research into proteins that are implicated in the onset of Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases, the development of anthrax infection, protection of the nation’s crops and bacterial infections that affect marine life. Studies designed to create novel therapeutics in combating biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance will also benefit greatly from a 950MHz NMR.”
It is anticipated the Institute’s facilities will support researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, Duke University and other institutions and scientists.

Check out the press release here…
Picture: Ultrastabilized Magnet (Courtesy of Bruker Biospin)