Researchers at 蓝莓视频 are developing a technique to take MRI capabilities down to the atomic scale听
搁补蹿蹿颈听叠耻诲补办颈补苍听
Professor, Faculty of Science听
>听蓝莓视频 Endowed Chair in Nanotechnology听
>听Institute for Quantum Computing听
MRI works on the听millimetre听scale.听Budakian鈥檚听lab uses the angstrom scale, a metric unit of length that is 10 million times smaller than a听millimetre, as a measurement for exploring molecular imaging. The very precise angstrom scale requires extreme sensitivity in order to measure at the molecular level instead of the physical.听
Using quantum sensors,听Budakian鈥檚听team has designed a new way to generate magnetic fields on听nanometre听light scales for imaging and controlling nuclear spins. Because spins are also quantum mechanical, they are harnessed for detection purposes using very intense magnetic fields on very short length scales of the order of 100听nanometres听鈥� which makes the MRI using the听millimetre听scale seem huge in comparison.听
Budakian听is excited about this new imaging technique, which his team calls nuclear magnetic resonance diffraction (NMRD) because听diffraction is a very powerful tool for analyzing materials that have a crystalline structure, such as proteins.听
鈥淎t a high level this work could be used to develop quantum technologies to study protein structure and dynamics,鈥� he says. 鈥淯nderstanding the structure of proteins is vital to drug development.鈥澨�
These materials include biologically relevant samples of virus particles and proteins that cause diseases such as Parkinson鈥檚 and Alzheimer鈥檚. Gaining a clear image of what these materials look like could have an immense impact on medicine, from better treatment to a deeper understanding of complex biomolecules.听
Now that听Budakian鈥檚听team has found a way to do diffraction with NMR, with precise measurements that are accurate to a fraction of an angstrom, they are ready to put their machine and technique through extensive testing.听
鈥淥ur immediate goal is to do 3D crystal structure determination using NMRD, which is what we need for imaging protein structures,鈥澨鼴udakian听says. 鈥淢y hope is that this will excite others to look at this technique and then develop it further.鈥澨�
Teamwork and interdisciplinary research are paramount to moving ideas and theories into real world applications,听Budakian听notes. He looks听at听his team as a听perfect of听example of how ideas can become innovations. He works with a community of people at IQC with varied backgrounds in science, mathematics and engineering: theorists who ask questions, experimentalists who can realize the theory into practice, and fabricators who spend their time thinking about how to make these devices work better and better. In the lab, all the components come together to create satisfying results.听
鈥淚n a university environment, it鈥檚 sometimes luck that lands the right student or postdoc at your door who is excited to work on your project,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t 蓝莓视频, our research facilities and capabilities make this happen.鈥澨�
With financial support from Transformative Quantum Technologies at 蓝莓视频,听Budakian鈥檚听miniscule imaging technique is poised to lead to big impacts on the future of human health and well-being.听
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