A new state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument is making its way to Trinity University’s chemistry department, but its purposes extend far beyond the chem lab. Most science students at Trinity will get to use it, says chemistry professor Adam Urbach, Ph.D.
“This won’t be a specialized tool locked away for a few experts,” Urbach says. “It will be part of the everyday scientific life of the university.”
The new tool will give students and faculty the ability to study molecules in extraordinary detail, expanding opportunities for hands-on scientific discovery and interdisciplinary collaboration.
A $599,200 grant from the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund made the purchase possible and the equipment is set to arrive on campus in a couple of months. The gift marks the second major investment in Trinity’s scientific instrumentation by the Voelcker Fund in less than five years. The Fund previously supported the purchase of a confocal microscope, affectionately nicknamed “Minnie.” In recognition of the fund’s continued generosity, the new NMR instrument will be named “Max.” The names honor Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker, a husband-and-wife team who operated a dairy farm in San Antonio and whose philanthropic legacy supports scientific research and medical advancement in the region.
The Voelcker Fund places particular emphasis on supporting research related to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, and inherited retinal degeneration disorders. “Faculty research that will use the instrument will support discoveries in these areas,” says Corina Maeder, Ph.D., chair of Trinity’s Department of Chemistry. Maeder adds that the instrument’s versatility will extend its impact well beyond these fields, supporting a broad range of scientific investigations.
Urbach says NMR is the chemist’s most important tool for answering the questions at the heart of chemistry: What is this molecule? And how does it behave? “Max” will help Trinity scientists look for answers.
Urbach offers a familiar comparison to explain the technology: “Think of it as an MRI machine for molecules,” he explains. “Just as an MRI lets doctors see inside the body without surgery, this instrument lets our students and faculty see the structure of molecules too small for a microscope.”
Because organic chemistry is required for students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, and biology, as well as many students pursuing careers in medicine and other health professions, the instrument’s reach will extend across multiple academic programs. And students will perform the research that runs through the NMR.
That level of access distinguishes Trinity’s undergraduate experience from what students may encounter at larger research institutions, Maeder adds, where advanced instrumentation is often primarily operated by graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and specialized staff.
At Trinity, students will use the NMR to see the structure of the molecules they make. “This kind of direct access to research-grade equipment is exactly what ambitious students are looking for, and it gives them a real advantage when they apply to medical school, graduate school, or jobs in industry,” Urbach says.
The equipment will also support the university’s ability to recruit and retain faculty who combine active research programs with a commitment to undergraduate teaching. The chemistry faculty agree this gift is an investment in the quality of a Trinity research and science education for years to come.