Medical Nanotechnology

NMR and MRI studies of Molecular Dynamics

• Professor William (Bill) Price (School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Head of the Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Group)
• Dr Reynaldo Castillo - Senior Lecturer
• Dr Allan Torres - NMR Facility Manager
• Dr Tim Stait-Gardner - Post Doctoral Fellow
• Dr Gang Zheng - Post Doctoral Fellow

• PhD Candidates
• • Mr Nirbhay N Yadav
  • Mr Scott Willis
  • Mr Ivan Siladji
  • Mr Dale Codling
• Honours Students
• •  

Price Group;

Keywords: biomolecular association, conducting electrolytes, diffusion, drug binding, MRI, NMR, porous media, protein

Collaborators (internal): A/Prof. J. Aldrich-Wright (SBHS) Prof. J. Conroy (PAFS), Dr G. Dennis (SNS), Prof. A. Hennessy (SoM), A/Prof. V. Higgins (SBHS), Dr A. Lauto (SBHS), Prof. J. Morley (SOM), Dr A. Torres (SBHS), Dr R.Castillo (SBHS)

Collaborators (external): Dr Y. Aihara (Samsung, Japan), Dr M. Ali (Westmead Hospital), Dr R. Bourne (Univ. Syd), Dr S. Clarke (Charles Sturt Univ.), Prof. M. Guest (Tokyo Metro, U), Prof. K. Hayamizu (AIST, Japan), Prof P. Kuchel (Univ. Syd), Prof. P. Russell (UNSW), Mr A. Sims (UNSW), Prof. O. Söderman (Univ. Lund), Prof P. Stilbs (Royal Inst. Technology, Sweden), Prof. M. Wilson (CSIRO).

Research;

My lab's interests span many areas of MRI, NMR and Medical Nanotechnology: Especially experimental and theoretical developments in molecular dynamics in biological and chemical systems using MRI, relaxation and pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR measurements of translational diffusion. The research has applications to many areas including pharmaceutical screening and lithium batteries. Two current lines of research are outlined below.

Protein aggregation: Neurodegeneration (incl. Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease) is an important topic in medicine. We have been developing new magnetic resonance methods (PGSE NMR and diffusion-weighted MRI) for studying protein aggregation. In NMR this requires better suppression of background/internal (magnetic) gradients and the huge water signal commonly encountered in biological milieu. Recent studies have resulted in a new high performance water suppression and background gradient suppression NMR pulse sequences (i.e., PGSTE-WATERGATE and MAG-PGSTE) and selective RF pulses (i.e., phase modulated binomial-like sequences).

Porous media: Current models for analysing NMR diffusion studies of porous media are simplistic. We are developing more realistic models for describing diffusion in porous materials that not only incorporate greater resemblance to the pore geometry. Models which include more background gradients, polydispersity, and relaxation are being developed. These models are then simulated, then tested using NMR measurements. 

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Professor William S. Price

BSc (Hons 1) PhD (Syd) CSci CChem FRACI FRSC

Research Interests

NMR/MRI and Medical Nanotechnology: Especially development of new NMR techniques, molecular dynamics in biological and chemical systems using NMR imaging, relaxation and pulsed gradient spin-echo NMR measurements of translational diffusion. His research has direct applications to a wide range of practical problems including pharmaceutical screening and lithium batteries.

Current areas of research include:

Molecular mechanisms of ionic conduction (e.g., in lithium battery electrolytes). Protein association and crystallisation. Effects of macromolecular crowding on molecular association. Theoretical/experimental studies of restricted diffusion in porous media. Solution dynamics and self-association in aqueous solutions. Development of sophisticated NMR and MRI techniques for studying molecular dynamics.

"NMR Studies of Translational Motion - Principles and Applications"

W.S.Price Cambridge Press 2009

WS Price Profile (PDF, 40kb)

WS Price Publications List (PDF, 39kb)

WS Price Curriculum Vitae (PDF, 45kb)

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Dr Reynaldo Castillo

Dr Allan Torres

BSc Chem (UPhil) PhD (Alberta)

Research Interests: Nanotechnology. NMR Theory and Application. Development of NMR methods. Protein structure determination. Platypus toxin characterisation.

Research:

Dr Torres’s research interests include NMR method development, protein structure and dynamics, molecular diffusion and platypus venom characterisation. He has considerable experience in devising and utilizing various NMR methods for the study of bioactive molecules, molecular interactions and cells. He has been involved in the determination of three-dimensional structures of many biologically important protein molecules. These include structures of human insulin growth factor II, platypus venom peptides (DLP-1, DLP-2, DLP-4 and OvCNPa), snake (bucandin and nawaprin) and scorpion peptides (Cnerg1), and polypeptide fragments of HERG and TASKS potassium channels. He together with Prof Philip Kuchel discovered novel D-amino acid containing peptides and the enzyme (L-to-Dpeptide isomerase) responsible for their creation in the platypus venom.

He is currently involved in developing new NMR methods focused on improving the efficiency of NMR diffusion experiments. This requires eliminating peak distortions caused by homonuclear J-coupling and suppressing strong water signal. The study led to creation of new J-compensated NMR pulse sequences and binomial-like water suppression sequences that can be utilised in many conventional NMR methods.

A Torres Publications (PDF, 24kb)

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Dr Tim Stait-Gardner

BSc (Hons 1), PhD (UWS)

Research Interests: Speeding-up NMR Diffusion measurements, MRI of plants, Diffusion MRI, pulse shaping.

Dr Gang Zheng

BE (1997-2001) Hubei Polytechnic University, P. R. China, ME (2001-2004) HUST, P. R. China, Ph D (UWS)

Research Interests: Development of PGSE sequences for the suppression of background gradients. Development of shaped RF pulses for the suppression of solvent signal.

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PhD Students

Nirbhay N Yadav

" Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Modelling Techniques for Probing Porous Systems."

BSc (Honours), MSc (Honours), PhD Candidate since 2006 (3 years in this group)

Work Experience:

• James An College - Tutor in Maths & Science
• UWS - Lab supervisor for physics, engineering and nanotechnology.
• Kennards Hire - Delivery, equipment servicing and customer service.

Awards/Scholarships:

• University representative at the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) Winter School (2001)
• Best poster prize award winner at the UWS Imaging and Diffusion Symposium (2006)
• UWS Postgraduate award with stipend (2007-2009)
• First place in the poster prize competition at the ANZMAG 2008 conference (2008)

N Yadav Publications (PDF, 13kb)

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Scott Willis

"Development of Brownian Ratchets for Solution Phase Chemical Separations."

Qualifications: BSc (Nanotechnology) with Distinction, BSc (Honours, Class I), PhD Candidate since 2009.

Research Interests: Research is always interesting because there are always new ideas to explore and things to develop. Synthesis of polymeric and other materials. The study of diffusion in polydisperse and anisotropic systems.

I have been in the Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Group at UWS for about 2 years. In my 3rd year of my BSc (Nanotechnology) degree I undertook two short research projects, one looking at the hydration of some amino acids using NMR diffusion measurements (at UWS Campbelltown campus) and the other looking at some properties of star polymers (at UWS Parramatta campus). For my honours project in 2008, I looked at the effects of polydispersity (in terms of molecular size) on self-diffusion in linear and star polymer systems with NMR diffusion measurements (at UWS Campbelltown and Parramatta campuses). I am currently working on my PhD with my two main supervisors, Prof. William S. Price (UWS Campbelltown campus) and Dr Gary R. Dennis (UWS Parramatta campus).

Awards/Scholarships:

• Australian Postgraduate Award and UWS Top-Up (2009)
• UWS Medal for outstanding scholarship (for 2008)
• UWS Honours Scholarship (2008)
• UWS Dean's Medal (for 2005 - 2007)
• Ellice Swinbourne Prize (for 2005 - 2007)
• UWS U Step Merit Equity Scholarship (2005 - 2007)
• Flender Prize for Mechatronics (for 2001 - 2003)

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Dale Codling

"NMR and MRI studies of Restricted Diffusion."

BSc (Nanotechnology), BSc (Honours), PhD candidate since 2008.

Research Interests: My project aims to develop new analytical models for analysing NMR and MRI diffusion data obtained for diffusion in restricted geometries such as pores and to compare them with simulations and experimental data.

Ivan Siladji

BSc (Nanotechnology), Graduate Certificate in Research Studies, PhD Candidate (2008 on leave)

Research Interests: NMR Diffusion studies of the aggregation and crystallization of biological molecules including amino acids, peptides, proteins and alcohols.

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