title: Facing and Overcoming Sensitivity Challenges in Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy.
abstract: In the Spring of 2013, NMR spectroscopists convened at the Weizmann Institute in Israel to brainstorm on approaches to improve the sensitivity of NMR experiments, particularly when applied in biomolecular settings. This multi-author interdisciplinary Review presents a state-of-the-art description of the primary approaches that were considered. Topics discussed included the future of ultrahigh-field NMR systems, emerging NMR detection technologies, new approaches to nuclear hyperpolarization, and progress in sample preparation. All of these are orthogonal efforts, whose gains could multiply and thereby enhance the sensitivity of solid- and liquid-state experiments. While substantial advances have been made in all these areas, numerous challenges remain in the quest of endowing NMR spectroscopy with the sensitivity that has characterized forms of spectroscopies based on electrical or optical measurements. These challenges, and the ways by which scientists and engineers are striving to solve them, are also addressed.
authors.affiliation: GE Healthcare, Broendby, Denmark; Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre (Denmark).
authors.forename: Jan-Henrik
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ardenkjaer-Larsen
authors.affiliation: U.S. National High Magnetic Field Lab, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310 (USA).
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Boebinger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics of Biological Systems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne (Switzerland).
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Comment
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD (UK).
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duckett
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 (USA).
authors.forename: Arthur S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Edison
authors.affiliation: Bruker Biospin GmbH, 76287 Rheinstetten (Germany).
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Engelke
authors.affiliation: MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen (Germany).
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griesinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Francis Bitter Magnet Lab, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139-4703 (USA).
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station (USA).
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hilty
authors.affiliation: Riken Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa (Japan).
authors.forename: Hidaeki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: CERM and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy).
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parigi
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany).
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prisner
authors.affiliation: CERM and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy).
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ravera
authors.affiliation: Radboud University, Nijmegen (The Netherlands).
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Bentum
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel).
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, C. J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands).
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: CERM and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy). luchinat@cerm.unifi.it.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luchinat
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany). schwalbe@nmr.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwalbe
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel). Lucio.Frydman@weizmann.ac.il.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frydman
mesh_terms: D060526:Magnetic Fields; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / Q000295:instrumentation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D012996:Solutions
keywords: NMR probeheads; NMR spectroscopy; nuclear hyperpolarization; sensitivity enhancement; ultrahigh magnetic fields