Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy - Analysis of biomolecules

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy

In NMR spectroscopy the phenomenon of Nuclear magnetic resonance is employed for the study of physical, chemical and biological properties of the analyse. Atomic nuclei possess spin and because which it generates a magnetic field and gains the magnetic moment. The frequency of spinning nucleus is exactly equal to the frequency of Electromagnetic radiation necessary to induce a transition from one nuclear spin state to another. When these magnetically active nuclei are placed into an external static magnetic field, the magnetic fields align themselves with the external field into two orientations. When electromagnetic radiation of specific frequency is applied, by sweeping the magnetic field, an energy difference between spin states will occur that has the same energy as that of the applied radio frequency and plot of frequency versus energy absorption can be generated. The nuclei willabsorb radiation in the radio wave region of the electromagnetic spectrum, this is the NMR spectrum.

Applications

·        To study the structure of small organic molecules and small globular proteins.

   Used for 3-Dimensional structure determination of macromolecules.

·        Chemical shift mapping – Structural information on the binding modes and site positions.

·        Molecular dynamics, conformational analysis.

·        Use of 3D-NMR &single-slice planar in medical field such as imaging in detecting breast abnormalities etc.