Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – The new 800 MHz Bruker Avance Neo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer has become operational, acquired as part of BioSpecNet (Biophysical Spectroscopy Network), the scientific consortium established by Italfarmaco Spa and the “G. Ronzoni” Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Research, after over twenty years of collaboration in structural and biochemical research.
Installed at the Milan headquarters of the G. Ronzoni Institute, "it is the first instrument of this power in the Italian private sector and the first to be operational in the North of the country," a statement states. "In Italy, there are currently only three other 800 MHz NMR systems, all located in public university settings, while in Europe there are just over 60."
With the new 800 MHz NMR spectrometer, the G. Ronzoni Institute expands its instrument fleet, which already includes two 500 MHz systems and one 600 MHz system. The new system raises the bar for research capabilities to a level that, in Italy, remains the prerogative of very few centers, and until now, never in the private sector.
The 800 MHz NMR spectrometer will allow for greater study of the structure of proteins, polysaccharides, and other complex biomolecules, accelerating research and development of new therapies.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most powerful techniques available to science for observing molecules without destroying them. By placing a sample in a homogeneous magnetic field and irradiating it with radio waves, the press release states, it is possible to obtain detailed information on the structure of molecules and how they interact with each other. This allows for the precise reconstruction of a protein's structure and understanding how a drug recognizes and binds to its biological target. It is, in a sense, a way of photographing the invisible: not an image in the traditional sense, but a detailed map of the structure and behavior of matter at the atomic level.
The new system is also equipped with CryoProbe technology: a probe cooled to extremely low temperatures (20 degrees Kelvin, approximately -253°C), which allows the instrument to "listen" to the signal of molecules with much lower background noise, similar to switching from a cheap microphone to a professional one. The result is sensitivity that can be increased up to fivefold compared to a traditional probe. This means being able to analyze samples at very low concentrations: a crucial difference when working with proteins available only in minimal quantities, as often happens in the study of rare diseases. Consistent with the BioSpecNet consortium model, the new NMR will not be reserved for internal use: it will also be made accessible to universities, research centers, and external companies, on a scientific collaboration or specialized service basis. This approach aims to multiply the impact of the investment, placing a high-level scientific resource at the service of the entire region, beyond the boundaries of the two institutions that made it possible.
The potential applications of the new instrument are broad and involve some of the most active fronts in contemporary biomedical research. In drug discovery, the statement details, NMR allows us to observe how an experimental drug binds to its biological target, crucial information for understanding whether a molecule will truly work, long before reaching the clinical stage. In structural biology, the instrument allows us to reconstruct the three-dimensional architecture of complex proteins, often at the heart of poorly understood pathological processes. In metabolomics, it allows us to simultaneously analyze hundreds of small molecules present in a biological fluid, providing a snapshot of an organism's metabolic state, an approach with applications ranging from diagnostics to research into new pathologies. In carbohydrate chemistry, "an area of historical excellence of the G. Ronzoni Institute since its studies on heparin," the instrument's greater resolution opens the way to a more refined characterization of complex polysaccharides, the basis of much research into antithrombotic and anticancer drugs.
"The commissioning of the 800 MHz NMR represents a strategic step for the G. Ronzoni Institute and the Italian research system," says Marco Guerrini, Director of the G. Ronzoni Institute. "Having a platform of this level means being able to study biomolecules and drug-protein interactions in a level of detail previously unavailable at our facility. This investment strengthens our expertise in structural biology and carbohydrate chemistry, but above all, it creates new opportunities for collaboration with universities, research centers, and companies engaged in the development of innovative therapies."
The new 800 MHz NMR, according to Christian Steinkuhler, Chief Scientific Officer of Italfarmaco, "is a concrete example of how collaboration between industry and research can generate value that extends beyond the individual entities involved. The partnership between Italfarmaco and the G. Ronzoni Institute, built over twenty years of scientific collaboration, has allowed us to provide cutting-edge technology to research, with important applications in rare diseases, oncology, and drug discovery. We are particularly convinced of the value of a model in which industry investment contributes to strengthening a scientific infrastructure and, at the same time, facilitates access to it by universities, research centers, and other companies. This collaboration," he concludes, "can thus translate into an accelerator of knowledge, innovation, and, in the long term, new therapeutic opportunities for patients."
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