Source: Simon Fraser University
http://www.sfu.ca/mediapr/news_releases/archives/news10120601.htm New facility boosts biomedical researchOctober 12, 2006 Mario
Pinto, Vice-President, Research: vpres@sfu.ca, 604.291.4152
SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations: 604.291.3210 October 12, 2006 A new facility that will advance medical research at Simon Fraser University
will open on the Burnaby campus on Friday, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m. in the
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry atrium, South Science Building, level
6000. The high-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer, housed within
the chemistry department, will benefit researchers working in the areas of
drug and vaccine discovery and development, biomolecular interactions,
natural products chemistry, and chemical ecology. "This state-of-the-art facility will give SFU a competitive advantage when
it comes to attracting and retaining high-quality faculty and students,"
says SFU’s vice-president of research Mario Pinto. "It will contribute to the success of the regional Centre for Drug Research
and Development, whose hiring plan is critically dependent on access to
high-field NMR spectrometers. And it will provide essential services to
established and emerging companies in B.C.’s biotechnology sector." NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important technologies in the chemical
and biological sciences. It allows researchers to determine the structure of
organic compounds, as well as protein structures and their complexes with
drug or vaccine candidates. Western Economic Diversification Canada invested $700,000 to help SFU
acquire the new spectrometer. -30- Note to photo editors: At approx. 1:45 p.m. there will be an opportunity to
photograph the spectrometer in action and to tour the new facility.
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