€3.4 million to future-proof Dutch NMR research infrastructure

Researchers studying molecules and materials at the smallest scale will soon have access to upgraded state-of-the-art equipment. A consortium led by Utrecht University biochemist Hugo van Ingen has been awarded €3.4 million by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to modernise the Netherlands’ national Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) infrastructure. More than €1 million of the funding will be invested in Utrecht-based facilities.

For decades, the Netherlands has been among the world’s leading countries in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), a technique that allows scientists to study molecules and materials in extraordinary detail. NMR plays a crucial role in research on new medicines, sustainable materials, food, energy and many other fields.

The universities of Utrecht, Leiden, Nijmegen and Wageningen jointly operate the national NMR facility, uNMR-NL. This gives researchers from the Netherlands and abroad access to advanced NMR instrumentation. The new NWO funding will allow the consortium to upgrade and expand this shared infrastructure.

Existing equipment will remain operational for decades to come. We’re also investing in new technology that will enable researchers to do things that weren’t possible before

“This is incredibly important for the entire consortium,” says project coordinator Hugo van Ingen, biochemist and NMR spectroscopist at Utrecht University. “We’ve put together a strong package of upgrades that will allow existing equipment to remain operational for decades to come. At the same time, we’re investing in new technology that will enable researchers to do things that weren’t possible before.”

At Utrecht University, the investment will fund the replacement of a key NMR magnet with a new-generation system. The consortium will also modernise its shared IT infrastructure, making it easier for researchers across the country to manage and share data.

More precise measurements

The new magnet will be less sensitive to vibrations and other environmental disturbances, resulting in more reliable measurements. That is particularly important because major construction work is expected around the NMR laboratories at Utrecht Science Park in the coming years.

Sustainable use

The new system is also much better insulated, making it more sustainable. NMR magnets are cooled with liquid helium, a scarce resource that keeps the magnets at extremely low temperatures. Although Utrecht’s laboratory already recovers and reuses most of the helium it consumes, the researchers want to reduce helium use even further.

Better insulation means much less of the costly helium is needed to cool the equipment

Liquid helium has become increasingly scarce and expensive in recent years. “The global supply chain is vulnerable and has recently come under pressure because of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of the world’s helium exports pass,” says Van Ingen. “A more helium-efficient magnet not only makes our research more sustainable, but also makes us less dependent on fluctuations in the global helium supply.”

Following proteins in motion

The upgraded infrastructure will also strengthen Utrecht University’s research on proteins. NMR allows researchers not only to determine a protein's structure, but also to observe how it moves.

Protein motions can’t be accurately predicted with a computer. That’s where NMR measurements are essential

Those movements are essential for understanding how proteins function and how they can be designed for new applications. “Protein motions can't be accurately predicted with a computer,” says Van Ingen. “That's where NMR measurements are essential.”

In the long term, this knowledge could contribute to more sustainable chemical processes, new biotechnological applications, improved vaccine development and many other medical innovations.

The Netherlands has an excellent international reputation in NMR. This funding will help us maintain that leading position for many years to come.

Researchers from universities, research institutes and companies across the Netherlands can use the shared NMR infrastructure. According to Van Ingen, this collaborative approach is one of the country’s greatest strengths.

“The Netherlands has an excellent international reputation in NMR,” he says. “By working together, we're able to make investments of this scale. This funding will help us maintain that leading position for many years to come.”