Bourne Foundation: In a groundbreaking move, the Bourne Foundation has unveiled the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility, a state-of-the-art core institute facility that has been meticulously rebuilt to house the world’s latest NMR instrumentation. This remarkable transformation has been made possible through a substantial donation from the Bourne Foundation.
The newly revamped Bourne Foundation Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Facility now boasts a cutting-edge 600MHz NMR Spectrometer with a QCI-F Cryoprobe, marking a significant milestone as the first of its kind in Australia.
This impressive spectrometer not only enhances the capacity for high-throughput sample screening but also elevates our capabilities in the burgeoning field of fluorine-19 NMR, a pivotal tool in modern drug discovery. The facility’s upgraded infrastructure includes three NMR spectrometers, opening doors for innovative NMR applications in the realms of healthcare and medicine.
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With this exciting facility enhancement, research scientists are now empowered to collaborate closely with clinicians, enabling them to acquire comprehensive metabolomic profiles from blood, serum, and urine samples. These profiles play a crucial role in biomarker discovery, early diagnostics, drug screening, and a multitude of other medical applications.
Associate Professor Thomas Haselhorst, a distinguished figure in the Institute for Glycomics, an expert in NMR spectroscopy, structure-guided drug design, and medicinal chemistry, emphasizes the significance of NMR spectroscopy in unraveling the intricacies of atomic and molecular structures, dynamics, and chemical environments. He underscores its critical role in analyzing interactions involving small ligands like glycans with target proteins, cells, and even intact virus particles, bacteria, or parasites. This technique not only advances our understanding of these interactions but also furnishes the fundamental knowledge essential for pioneering breakthroughs in anticancer and antiviral drug development.
The Bourne Foundation, longstanding supporters of the Institute for Glycomics, has played a pivotal role in funding the acquisition of this cutting-edge instrument. The foundation honors the memory of its founder, Mr. Arthur Bourne, a dedicated entrepreneur with a strong engineering background, who was unwavering in his commitment to advancing medical discoveries and global health solutions. Recognizing the critical role of infrastructure investment in research progress, Mr. Bourne’s legacy lives on through this substantial contribution.
Sid Catlin, Director of the Bourne Foundation, expresses the importance of this capital expenditure, considering it a vital piece of the research puzzle that will significantly impact discoveries at the Institute for years to come. The foundation takes pride in its role in advancing world-leading research and contributing to the betterment of global health.
The official inauguration of this facility was graced by Professor Mark von Itzstein AO, Director of the Institute for Glycomics, alongside Mr. Marcus Ward, Vice President (Advancement) at Griffith University, and Mr. Sid Catlin, Director of the Bourne Foundation. The event included an insightful tour of the state-of-the-art facility, highlighting its critical role in the Institute’s achievements in drug and vaccine development.
The Bourne Foundation’s generous support is set to propel the Institute’s discoveries into the future, making a significant contribution to global health for generations to come.