The laboratory for Bio-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is devoted to scientific research, teaching, and commissioned research. The Bio-NMR group is specialized in the use of high (HF) and low (LF) NMR spectroscopy. The HF-NMR allows one to grab the only exclusive molecular profile of a sample (food or a biological specimen), to characterize it from a metabolic point of view. This is widely used in the control of the quality of food, in the detection of adulterations, and also in the evaluation of the effects of a single food or a diet on the human or animal body. The LF-NMR allows the evaluation of the interactions between water and microstructures that make up food. Therefore, the main results that can be obtained by HF-NMR and LF-NMR are:
• the characterization of the molecular composition (sugars, proteins, lipids, amino acids, etc.) of a sample, to describe it from a metabolic point of view
• the identification of biomarkers capable of explaining the difference between samples, helping to understand both the technological effects on food and the effects of a single food or a diet on human and animal metabolism
• the observation of the state of the water of food.
Research themes
The main research themes are as follows:
• Characterization of food molecular profile
• Observation of foods’ transformations as a consequence of technological processes or differences in production methods
• Characterization of the molecular profiles of complex biological systems
• Observation of the effects of a single food or a diet on the human or animal body
• Use of HF-NMR spectroscopy to study in vitro digestive processes
• Observation of how the structure of a food matrix affects digestion
• Standardization of metabolic analysis models in biological samples (urine, plasma, feces, saliva, meat, etc.)
• Development of IT tools for the statistical analysis of data (PCA, PLS, IPLS, ECVA, IECVA)
• Evaluation of the state of water within a food matrix.
Instrumentation available to the laboratory
• Bruker AV600 spectrometer for HF-NMR
• Bruker MINISPEC mq 20 for LF-NMR.
Services and advice
• Evaluation of the molecular profile of biological samples through HF-NMR and assignment of signals via the Chenomx database
• Registration of LF-NMR relaxation curves to evaluate the status of water in a food.
Teaching and training activities
• Development of bachelor and master thesis
• Development of research projects by doctoral and post-doc students.