It looks like a giant thermos flask and weighs eight tons. But that is not the only reason the new 1.2 GHz spectrometer is a worldwide research heavyweight. With its magnetic field strength, the technology sets new standards in high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy: 28.2 Tesla – almost 600,000 times stronger than the earth´s magnetic field. Presently, there are only three of these high-tech instruments; besides the University of Florence (Italy) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland), there is now one set up in Göttingen at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry. The costs for the instrument are 12.5 million euros.
A 60-ton crane and two trucks were necessary to put the new NMR spectrometer safely into the recently built hall at the institute. In the future, this innovative technology, now in Göttingen through the efforts of Christian Griesinger and Markus Zweckstetter will allow their teams to further expand their research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. The Göttingen NMR experts also hope for new findings in cancer and infection research.
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