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Remote NMR (R-NMR): Moving NMR infrastructures to remote access capabilities

Project description

Remote NMR spectroscopy use is on the cards

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an essential technique scientists use to study the physical, chemical and biological properties of matter. Prior to COVID-19, the majority of NMR measurements were conducted by users travelling to the NMR machine. Due to the lockdown restrictions in many countries, measurements from external users requiring travelling were not possible, highlighting the necessity of establishing remote access capabilities. The EU-funded R-NMR project wants to establish remote access for all NMR users across Europe and, ultimately, create an inclusive network of NMR infrastructures. R-NMR will determine the community’s needs for remote access, review General Data Protection Regulation and sample shipment procedures. The work will also set up tools to monitor CO2 footprint.

Objective

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is one of the major analytical methods applied in all chemical, physical, biological, and medical sciences. NMR's leading role stems from its analytical power in terms of molecular resolution, quantification, reproducibility, and broad application envelope. It requires sophisticated and expensive equipment, operated by scientists with diverse background ranging from service-oriented researchers to highly trained experts. The aggregated capital investment in European NMR facilities, operating at local, national, and European level, exceeds 500 Million Euro. The NMR community maintains excellent networking between sites and serves a broad community within the focal points of European research interests.
With the application Remote-NMR (R-NMR), we wish to establish remote access for all NMR users throughout Europe. While routine NMR applications are routine in every university and in industry, more specialized applications are performed in dedicated research infrastructures offering access and help to local and outside users. During the pandemic, NMR infrastructures slowed down their operations to variable degrees, and particularly access by remote users dropped significantly, raising the need to establish standardized procedures for remote access to improve their resilience to adverse external factors. In this proposal an inclusive network of NMR-infrastructures throughout Europe will be established, surveying if and how remote access can be made possible according to the needs of the community, and implementing GDPR at facilities and sample shipment procedures. Routines for remote NMR-usage will be established, including dissemination of research and teaching protocols, archiving of data, and sample shipment. The overall CO2 footprint of the operation of the consortium will be evaluated, as well as its reduction due to the reduction of travels.

Coordinator

JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Net EU contribution
€ 175 000,00
Address
THEODOR W ADORNO PLATZ 1
60323 Frankfurt Am Main
Germany

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Region
Hessen Darmstadt Frankfurt am Main, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 175 000,00

Participants (22)

Partners (3)