CIC bioGUNE unveils its new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities

23 February 2024

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a versatile technique which enables molecular properties to be studied and which has a wide range of applications, from chemistry and materials science to biomedicine.

With this latest acquisition of 1 GHz equipment, the CIC bioGUNE NMR facilities are now among the most advanced in southern Europe, highlighting the capacity of the research centre to lead research in personalised and precision medicine.

The bioGUNE Research Centre (CIC bioGUNE), a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), has today unveiled its new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities.

The event, held to coincide with the 19th anniversary of the research centre located on the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Basque Country Technology Park, featured speeches by Iñigo Urkullu, First Minister of the Basque Government, and José María Mato, General Director of CIC bioGUNE.

NMR is an advanced and versatile technique which enables a detailed and precision study of molecular properties. The technique has multiple applications, ranging from chemistry to materials science, food science, biotechnology and biomedicine, and includes the design of new drugs and the search for biomarkers that may be correlated with pathological conditions. The research being conducted at the CIC bioGUNE NMR facilities, which are certified as a Unique Science and Technology Infrastructure by the Spanish government, is framed within this last field.

The recent acquisition of a 1 GHz spectrometer puts CIC bioGUNE at the forefront of NMR research focused on personalised and precision medicine. This instrument, together with the equipment already being used at the research centre, will contribute significantly to top-level research into the design of new drugs, the search for biomarkers for the diagnosis of rare diseases, both in neonates and adults, prevalent diseases such as cancer, liver disease and bacterial and viral infections, the detailed characterisation of the ageing process and the prognosis of various pathologies. This research is being taken forward in collaboration with numerous national and international public and private organisations and institutions from the BRTA and the Basque Science and Technology Network.

Since they were first opened 17 years ago, the CIC bioGUNE NMR facilities have continuously evolved to become, thanks to the work and commitment of the centre’s researchers, an international benchmark, providing highly specialised capabilities and services. Initially equipped with two spectrometers (800 MHz and 600 MHz), the centre now has 7 devices of different power capacities, ranging from an 80 MHz benchtop instrument to the latest landmark acquisition, the 1 GHz spectrometer.

The commissioning of the new equipment has been made possible thanks to the financial support of:

The Basque Government (Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment): the AZPITEK Programme (no. PZ-2023/00006 – IMANBG no. PZ-2022/00001 – NMRBG), EMAITEK PLUS 2022 (MA-2022/00002) and the direct grant (2022/01409 A/20220570).

Ministry of Science, Innovation and State Research Agency: Aid CEX2021-01136-S (Accreditation of the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence) financed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033.

The Provincial Council of Bizkaia. This project has been funded by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, within the 2023 Technology Transfer programme (file number: 6/12/TI/2023/00001 – Magnet for a very high field 1GHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer).