Acquisition of a Liquid Helium Recycling System to Ensure Continued Viability of Magnetic Resonance Facilities for Biomedical Research - Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) are powerful biophysical
techniques that are extensively used at the College of Staten Island (CSI) to answer chemical and biophysical
questions of medical relevance. Both techniques require the extensive use of liquid helium (for cooling either the
superconducting magnet in NMR or the sample in EPR). This liquid helium is lost to evaporation over time and
needs to be periodically resupplied to the superconducting magnets and to the EPR cryostat every time
experiments are conducted. Given that helium is a scarce and non-renewable natural resource that is obtained
as a by-product of natural gas extraction, this loss of helium through evaporation is a wasteful mismanagement
of a scarce and critically important resource. To alleviate the current helium shortage, systems have been
developed that allow the capture and re-liquefaction of evaporating helium gas. If deployed widely, these systems
can significantly reduce overall helium consumption and reduce the current nationwide shortages.
Given the significant use of liquid helium for two NMR and one EPR spectrometer at CSI, our institution would
be a good candidate for the installation of a helium recycling solution. We therefore propose to acquire an
integrated liquid helium recycling system consisting of a liquefier, a purifier and a recovery and storage system.
Such a system will reduce our yearly liquid helium use by 80-90 %, therefore ensuring the continued viability of
our NMR and EPR research instrumentation even during supply shortages and order caps. In addition, the price
of helium has strongly increased over the last few years, and the reduced cryogen expenses achieved by helium
recycling will help ensure a stable financial future for the NMR facility without making NMR usage fees
unaffordable for our local and visiting academic researchers.
The magnetic resonance facilities at CSI facilitate a range of biomedical research projects, including from several
NIH-funded principal investigators. Such projects include a) the study of antimicrobial and pro-inflammatory
activities mediated by S100A12 in innate immunity, b) the biophysical analysis of interactions between peptide
toxins and human sodium channel voltage-sensor domains and c) the development of resistance-proof, immune-
friendly drugs for cancer chemotherapy. Additional research that is supported by these facilities involves method
development in membrane structural biology, mechanistic studies of metallo-enzymes, the preparation of
nanoparticles for drug delivery, measurement of singlet oxygen for antibacterial application in dental medicine,
and other projects in the areas of synthetic and polymer chemistry as well as neurobiology. Lastly, these facilities
are also important for the training and career preparation of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students both in
lab courses and through independent research with our faculty. The acquisition of a helium recycling system will
ensure the continued availability of this important resource and contribute to the strengthening of the research
enterprise at CSI.
