Professor Philip Doble
In summary:
- UTS's relationship with Agilent Technologies is bringing online the latest in nuclear magnetic resonance technology to benefit research across the Faculty of Science, including work to understand disease states such as cancer
- The new NMR facility is expected to be a drawcard for industry and students alike
UTS research to understand disease states such as cancer will be boosted by the launch of a new $1.2million nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) device for the Faculty of Science.
The machine, which will be installed in a new NMR facility in November, is the latest benefit of a long-standing partnership between Professor Philip Doble and Agilent Technologies.
The 500 megahertz instrument will replace the current NMR in UTS's possession – a 20year old 300 megahertz machine – with a resulting boost in capabilities that will benefit research across the faculty.
"NMRs have been around for a long time, but the applications we are using them for are changing as technology develops," Professor Doble said. "This will allow us to do things we couldn't do before."
The size of a small office, the NMR produces a magnetic field around a sample to identify unknown molecules.
"This NMR possesses more powerful magnets to produce higher resolution spectra and therefore it's applicable to analysing a wider range of chemical compounds," Professor Doble said.
"This means we can place known and unknown molecules in the device and come away with extensive data we previously could not have gained on site at UTS."
The compounds he first plans to look at are those associated with melanoma, before moving onto developing biomarkers for disease states such as cancer.
The facility will be co-used by Agilent Technologies for training and customer showcasing and Professor Doble said it would be a drawcard for industry and students alike.
"This will give us the ability to reach out to practitioners and industry in areas such as diagnostics. The Sydney Melanoma Institute and Seoul National University Hospital are already working with us.
"It will also complement the work we've been doing with Agilent around elemental bio-imaging, allowing us to expand from simple elemental assessment to molecular compounds," Professor Doble said.
The facility is scheduled to open in the next few weeks.
