Will enable high resolution structural determination of proteins, nucleic acids and other large bio-molecules and create new possibilities for the development of novel therapeutics
Oxford Instruments Superconductivity has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2003 in recognition of the pioneering technology enabling the Discovery 900MHz NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) superconducting magnet.
The 900MHz represents the latest milestone in continual product development for Oxford Instruments, which has been manufacturing NMR magnets since 1971, and represents a key advance in enabling life science and drug discovery applications.
Developed to meet the need to analyse larger and more complex molecules, the new magnet will enable high resolution structural determination of proteins, nucleic acids and other large bio-molecules and will create new possibilities for the development of novel therapeutics.
As one of the world's most powerful magnets, the eight tonne, five-metre high 900MHz magnet generates a magnetic field of 21.1 Tesla, more than 400,000 times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field.
At the heart of an NMR spectrometer, the power of the 900MHz superconducting magnet has opened new possibilities for research, allowing the 3D structure of proteins, nucleic acids and other biomolecules of up to 200kDa to be determined. The 900MHz system offers significant increases in resolution and sensitivity, with a 20% improvement in signal to noise compared to an 800MHz system.
To achieve this high level of performance, Oxford Instruments has developed and patented several unique magnet features, including new technology for superconducting wire (UltraSN), coil production (Sigmabond), superconductor jointing techniques (FemtoOhm) and an energy management system. These advances are critical for the understanding of disease and the development of pharmaceuticals.
Oxford Instruments Superconductivity has already installed the world's largest commercial wide-bore NMR magnet at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, USA and a second 900MHz system at Yokohama City University, Japan.
Further orders have been placed worldwide, including two systems co-funded by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust.
"The 900MHz is one of the most technically challenging magnets ever developed," said Steve McQuillan, managing director of Oxford Instruments Superconductivity.
"It's wonderful that the commitment and hard work of our workforce has been recognised by the Queen's Awards.
This radical magnet technology represents the culmination of years of research and planning, with innovation not just in engineering techniques, but also in business practice and infrastructure.
These developments have enabled us not only to develop and install the largest commercial wide-bore NMR magnet in the world, but also to commence manufacturing 900MHz systems on a commercial scale." "The recognition of this outstanding achievement reinforces our confidence in Oxford Instruments Superconductivity," said Jan Tschida, general manager, Varian NMR Systems. "During our 25 year partnership with the company, its commitment to the quality of the superconducting magnets at the heart of our NMR spectrometers has driven increases in the efficiency and technical ability of our systems.
This has allowed us to meet changing market needs and to maintain our position as a leading innovator in NMR science and technology."
