HWB-NMR: a national resource for biomolecular research

A 900MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer—the most powerful in the UK—will remain open to academic researchers across the country, allowing them to probe the atomic structures of proteins and other biomolecules. This funding keeps a critical piece of national infrastructure running. NMR spectroscopy reveals the three-dimensional shapes of molecules in solution, information essential for understanding how proteins function, misfold, or interact with potential drugs. Without this open-access resource, many UK research groups would lose the ability to perform these measurements, stalling work in structural biology, metabolism, and drug discovery. The grant also upgrades a 12-year-old 800MHz instrument with an ultra-sensitive low-volume cryoprobe and an autosampler, optimised for mass-limited samples at physiologically relevant salt levels. This will particularly benefit metabolism-related projects, where sample quantities are often tiny. The resource dedicates 70% of spectrometer time to external users and trains the next generation of researchers through hands-on use and annual meetings. If successful, the project ensures the UK maintains its competitive edge in biomolecular NMR, supporting high-impact publications and enabling structure-based drug design that could eventually lead to new therapeutics. This is primarily fundamental infrastructure for fundamental science, but the structural insights it provides are a direct prerequisite for rational drug development.