Seville, October 13, 2017. The Biomolecular Interactions Platform (BIP) of cicCartuja – a joint CSIC-US-Junta de Andalucía center – has joined the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Network of Excellence.

The uniqueness of the equipment that forms part of this platform, specifically its high-field NMR spectrometer, has allowed its incorporation into the Network. In addition to the aforementioned NMR equipment, BIP-cicCartuja consists of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, another interaction quantification equipment based on the Surface Plasmon Resonance phenomenon with imaging, an Isothermic Titration Calorimetry system and equipment for particle size characterization using Light Scattering. All of this will facilitate the development of cutting-edge research, as well as cooperation with other groups of expert scientists in the field.

One of the main objectives of this alliance is to promote the visibility of Spanish NMR groups, participating in international activities and in the personal exchange of students, scientists and technical staff. Another of the project’s aims is the open publication of the academic contributions of its members.

This Network of Excellence is made up of other NMR platforms of notable prestige, which are distributed across different Spanish research centres: CIC bioGUNE, Barcelona Science Park, Rocasolano Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Almería, University of Castilla-La Mancha, University of Santiago de Compostela and cicCartuja.

NMR is an ideal technique for molecular study and has multiple applications in Chemistry, Biomedicine and food control. As it is used in such varied disciplines, the equipment is distributed between distant centres, so this type of synergy is essential when it comes to optimising resources.

Irene Díaz-Moreno, researcher in the Biointeractomics group at the Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ) and Professor at the University of Seville, has been the architect of the inclusion of the cicCartuja NMR service in this Network of Excellence.