Helium Recycling for the NMR Facility at UT Health San Antonio

Project Summary/Abstract Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an essential technique for the characterization of macromolecules, including proteins, and provides insights into their structure, dynamics, and quantitative properties unattainable with other techniques. The operation of NMR instruments requires cryogenic liquid helium to maintain the superconducting state of the magnets. However, helium is a finite natural resource, and a significant amount is lost to the atmosphere during routine operations and magnet refills. To mitigate this, commercial vendors have developed systems for capturing and recycling helium gas to reduce these losses. At the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSA), the Structural Biology Core Facility (SBC) has a 25-year history of supporting NIH-funded researchers who utilize structural techniques such as cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, and NMR to advance drug discovery and basic research aimed at improving human health. Our Biomolecular NMR Facility currently operates two NMR spectrometers, with plans to add another instrument in the future. This facility requires a significant amount of liquid helium for normal operations, which is both expensive and causes undue reliance on a diminishing natural resource. In response to this funding opportunity, we propose to prepare the site and install a helium capture and reliquification system designed to serve the current and future needs of the NMR Facility. This addition will enhance our facility, reduce the financial burden on users, streamline operations, and support a rapidly expanding user base.