Bruker  today announced five orders for ultra-high field       (UHF) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy systems from Europe       and Brazil in recent months. These UHF systems have been funded for       cutting-edge NMR research in structural biology, intrinsically       disordered proteins (IDPs), membrane proteins, macro-molecular complexes       and interactions, cell biology, disease research, as well as in advanced       materials research.

“We are very happy to have         placed the order for the next generation of NMR. The 1.2 GHz NMR         system will allow us to investigate structure, dynamics and biological         function of increasingly large and challenging biomolecular complexes.         We will also be able to provide access for European researchers.”

Bruker defines UHF as NMR systems with 1H proton frequency of       900 MHz or above. Other high-field 700, 800 and 850 MHz orders are not       included in the UHF definition. The recent UHF NMR orders include three       900 and 950 MHz systems from Brazil, Switzerland and the UK, with       revenue typically within 18 months from order:

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in Brazil is         expanding its existing structural biology facility with the addition         of a 900 MHz NMR spectrometer. As one of the leading universities in         South America, the new 900 MHz system will be available as a regional         resource for research in protein structure and dynamics, protein         folding and structure of nucleic acids. Professor Fabio C. L. Almeida         of UFRJ commented: "Having a 900 MHz will have a strong impact on the         development of NMR and structural biology in Brazil and Latin America.         It will offer us advantages and capabilities over other techniques in         tackling important biological and technological problems."

The École Polytechnique Féderale de Lausanne (EPFL) in         Switzerland has ordered a Bruker 900 MHz instrument with the highest         field wide-bore (89 mm inner diameter) magnet currently available for         solid-state NMR. It will enable EPFL researchers to tackle problems in         complex systems such as enzymes, catalytic nanoparticles, active         pharmaceutical ingredients and live model organisms.

The University of Leeds in the UK is expanding its Astbury         Centre for Structural Molecular Biology with a 950 MHz NMR equipped         with a novel CryoProbe that is now designed for both 13C         and 15N direct detection, besides traditional 1H         indirect detection. This technology makes the instrument suitable for         determining structures, dynamics and interactions of globular         proteins, as well as for advanced functional and disease mechanism         studies of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Professor Alex         Breeze at the University of Leeds stated: “We are tremendously excited         to be installing our new 950 MHz instrument, which will complement our         investment in cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy and other         structural techniques. In particular, the combination of 950 MHz field         strength and the novel direct-detection and low-volume capabilities of         the latest CryoProbes will allow us to access critical         structural and dynamic information on important biological systems and         medically relevant targets with the optimum sensitivity and         resolution.”

In 2015, Bruker also has received two additional orders for       next-generation GHz-class systems from France and Germany, and Bruker’s       backlog for GHz-class NMR systems has now increased to nine (9) systems       for different European and Canadian customers. Bruker expects to begin       to recognize revenues from next-generation Aeon? 1.0 GHz       systems in 2016. The Aeon 1.2 GHz systems backlog       is projected to ship over several years, starting in late 2017 or 2018.       Revenue timing for future 1.2 GHz systems has inherent risks, and       depends on further progress in high-temperature superconductor (HTS)       materials and HTS-based NMR magnet technology.

A 1.2 GHz instrument ordered by the CNRS is expected to be placed at         the University of Lille in France and will be available to the         French and European scientific community through the NMR Large Scale         Facility, hosted by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique         (CNRS). Dr. Jean-Pierre Simorre, Director of the Large Scale Facility,         explained: “The acquisition of this 1.2 GHz spectrometer will keep         France at the leading edge of NMR technology. This national instrument         will be installed in Lille for a broad panel of interdisciplinary         research areas ranging from structural biology to catalysis, from         sustainable energy development to bio-medical applications.”

The Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ) at the Goethe         University in Frankfurt, Germany is part of the European Large         Scale Facilities and incorporates various high-field liquid and         solid-state NMR spectrometers, as well as DNP-NMR and EPR         instrumentation. The 1.2 GHz NMR ordered recently is expected to be         available to the scientific community in Germany and Europe. Research         at the BMRZ is dedicated to the elucidation of structure and         functional mechanisms of biomolecules ranging from RNA and RNA-protein         complexes, via large protein complexes to membrane proteins. Professor         Harald Schwalbe from the BMRZ remarked: "We are very happy to have         placed the order for the next generation of NMR. The 1.2 GHz NMR         system will allow us to investigate structure, dynamics and biological         function of increasingly large and challenging biomolecular complexes.         We will also be able to provide access for European researchers."