The scope of this design study is to open up new avenues of high-resolution NMR within the fields of structural biology by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). This technique should improve the sensitivity of liquid state NMR by orders of magnitude. The project aims at the development of a cutting-edge experimental test-setup to demonstrate the use of DNP at high magnetic fields for liquid samples. Two DNP spectrometers (HF-DNP and shuttle DNP spectrometers) will be developed. In parallel, the DNP mechanism at high magnetic fields for biological applications will be investigated and optimized methods will be developed by theoretical and numerical tools. The developed spectrometers and methods will then be used to investigate the application of the DNP technique on a broad range of biological systems.
The outcome of this Design Study funded by the EU will lead to a recommendation for the construction of a prototype DNP spectrometer and an infrastructure based on this technology, accessible for European researchers.
