Facility Overview
The Biological Magnetic Resonance (BMR) Facility was established in
1988-1989 and shortly after that officially opened. The Facility is
distributed over several principal modules, including three MRI/MRS
instruments, an animal holding and preparation module, a sample
preparation lab, and an image analysis and computer data processing
modules outfitted with high end PC and SCI computers and image analysis
software.
The laboratory currently houses multi-nuclear imaging and
spectroscopy systems operating at 4.7, 9.4 and 11.8 Tesla. Two principal
imaging systems, a Biospec 4.7 Tesla, 40 cm, horizontal bore magnet, and
a micro imaging DRX400 9.4, 8.9 cm, vertical bore magnet and a high
resolution DRX500 11.8 Tesla, 5.9 cm vertical bore magnet form the basis
of the BMR.
In addition, the Facility houses an electronics lab, a small mechanical workshop and facilities for the construction and testing of RF probes. Several RF probes are custom built by our NMR specialists. We employ IDL for image analysis and MatLab for experimental simulation. LabView is extensively used for experimental monitoring and control of experiments in conjunction with MRI. All computers in the lab are fully networked and are connected via the network to several high resolution laser printers in the BMR Facility.
The facility also includes a homemade, bioreactor specific probe
setup that includes complete perfusion device circuits and interfaces to
all our MRI/MRS instruments, a wet bench space, desk space for three
permanent staff members, three postdoctoral students and two research
faculties. The wet bench space includes centrifuges, chromatography
cabinets, pH meters, balances, and a complete gas mixing facility which
can deliver custom mixed gasses to any location within the BMR.
The
facility has a collaborative and collegial atmosphere and weekly
meetings are held to discuss science and administration.
