This award is jointly funded by the Chemical Research Instrumentation (CRIF) program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. Dr. Lukasz Ciesla from the Department of Biological Sciences and a team of researchers led by Dr. Paul Rupar from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry were awarded funds to acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a cryoprobe. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers measure the interaction of radio waves with a sample’s atomic nuclei in the presence of a strong magnetic field. The information provided by NMR spectrometers allows researchers to identify unknown substances, determine the structure of molecules, macromolecules, and biomolecules, and monitor reaction dynamics in solution. Because of its versatility, ease of use, and non-destructive nature, NMR spectroscopy supports much of modern chemical-based research and is critical to the fields of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, biochemistry and materials science. The cryogenic probe provides a significant increase in sensitivity relative to standard NMR probes. The instrument is also used to train undergraduate and graduate students in the use of this powerful tool. The spectrometer is available for use by researchers at other institutions including Tuskegee University and Samford University.