NEWS AND UPDATES
Past Meetings: The NMR at Ultra-High Field – Opportunities and Synergies in Structural Biology at The Exchange in Birmingham was a great opportunity to showcase knowledge/expertise and for networking.
Here is the take-home message of the meeting by PhD student Kleopatra Savvidou, one of the researchers whose attendance was supported by the Connect NMR UK Training Mobility Grant:
“I recently had the opportunity to attend the conference “NMR at Ultra-High Field, Opportunities and Synergies in Structural Biology” which took place in Birmingham. This event focused on the benefits of NMR spectroscopy in structural biology, covering topics such as studying large complexes, understanding biomolecular dynamics, and exploring the latest methodological advances from experts around the world.
Several talks emphasized the unique capability of NMR spectroscopy to study flexible or disordered biomolecules, that lack a well-defined structure. This enables scientists to identify potential functional interactions and gain a deeper understanding of biological mechanisms. I thoroughly enjoyed the talk by Dr. Martin Blackledge who discussed how NMR spectroscopy can be used to uncover the dynamics and interactions of intrinsically disordered proteins in viral replication. Other talks highlighted recent methodological and technical advancements, including the development of ultra-high-field magnets, and how AI can be applied to enhance the study of larger systems.
Attending this conference has expanded my knowledge in NMR spectroscopy. The talks provided me with valuable ideas that will be fruitful for my PhD project, particularly in how NMR can be utilized to study disorder and dynamics within large complexes.”
Postdoc appreciation week 16-22 September 2024: A Big Thank you!! to all the postdocs contributing to the progress of the NMR field in UK. Whether you are working towards the next NMR breakthrough paper, establishing a new collaboration to use NMR in a new field, working on a new methodology or developing new software and data analysis tools!
Training: If you are planning to attend a training course in NMR or visit a facility for training purposes or access to new techniques, hardware or tools that are beyond your local capabilities, don’t forget to apply for the Training Mobility Grant. We can support your visit! Just fill this form and send it back to us (anac@liverpool.ac.uk).
Outreach: Share your latest NMR related publication, talk or award! Send us the link of the publication or a short description of the event (and an image if you have one!). We will share this in our web page and social media. We are here to help to increase the impact and visibility of your research.
Save the date: The next NMRDG/BRSG Winter Meeting will be on the 12 -13 December 2024 at the RSC’s Burlington House in London. Further details will be available soon. Don’t Forget to apply for the Connect NMR UK Training Mobility Grant, we can support your travel and accommodation expenses.
NMR Community: Please get in touch with any ideas or thoughts about the network and how can we further support great NMR research in the UK (anac@liverpool.ac.uk).
RESEARCH HIGHILIGHTS
The paper “Solution-state methyl NMR spectroscopy of large non-deuterated proteins enabled by deep neural networks” by Professor Hansen’s team at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL, presents a new method to improve the analysis of large, non-deuterated proteins using methyl NMR spectroscopy. This breakthrough leverages deep neural networks (DNNs) to process and enhance the resolution of NMR data, especially in 2D 13C-1H correlation spectra, pushing the limits of NMR to the analysis of proteins up to about 350 kDa. These DNNs help by removing certain signal distortions and sharpening peak resolution, which is critical for studying large proteins without needing demanding deuteration processes.
The impact of this research is significant as it challenges a long-standing limitation in NMR spectroscopy in the analysis of large biomolecules. By significantly enhancing data quality, this approach allows for more precise and accessible analysis of a broader range of protein sizes. This advancement is crucial for deepening our understanding of complex biological mechanisms and can accelerate research in fields like drug discovery, structural biology, and molecular dynamics, where detailed protein analysis plays a pivotal role.
Karunanithy et al., Nat Commun 2024; 15(1):5073. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49378-8.
If you have recently published an NMR research focused paper, please share it with us. Just send us the link (and a figure if you have!).
We can highlight it in our newsletter, and social media. Please get in contact!
UPCOMING EVENTS – SAVE THE DATE!
PANIC – Q4 Webinar: Collaborations in NMR – 17 October 2024 at 11:00 AM EST
EuroMAR2025 – 6-10 July 2025 at Oulu, Finland
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