Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy of In Vivo Multicellular Organisms

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biological Research
• Biophysics

Background:

• High-field NMR spectrometers present significant physical and financial barriers, limiting their application in environmental and biological research.
• Low-field benchtop NMR offers greater accessibility but suffers from lower sensitivity and increased spectral overlap, hindering the study of complex samples like living organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the potential of low-field (80 MHz) in vivo NMR for analyzing live organisms.
• To evaluate the feasibility of extracting useful information from complex biological samples using accessible NMR technology.

Main Methods:

• In vivo NMR analysis of unicellular green algae with 13C-labeling.
• Monitoring a biological process in a multicellular organism (T. californicus).
• Studying live brine shrimp (A. franciscana) at 13C natural abundance, comparing adults and cysts using standard (1D 1H, 1D 13C, 2D HSQC) and advanced (13C-SSFP, reverse HSQC) NMR experiments.

Main Results:

• Spectral assignments were possible for brine shrimp, revealing clear differences between adult and cyst life stages.
• Low-field NMR effectively analyzed live organisms with and without isotopic enrichment.
• High-field NMR confirmed assignments and provided comprehensive biomolecular characterization, enhancing low-field data utility.

Conclusions:

• Low-field NMR is a viable tool for in vivo analysis of live organisms, offering valuable insights into biological processes.
• This technology holds significant potential for future field-based in vivo studies with the development of portable NMR spectrometers.