Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is ubiquitous in chemistry and biology for studying the structure and dynamics of molecules.

Central to its appeal is its ability to perform non-destructive interrogations of matter at the molecular level using a wide range of probe nuclei. In practice, however, NMR suffers from major challenges which limits its applicability. Some NMR active nuclei suffer from poor sensitivity, and in general, many probe nuclei are required for signal detection, making the technique unsuitable for studying samples at or near physiologically relevant conditions.

 An alternative to NMR is the use of radioactive probes where the detection leverages the high-energy radioactive decay. One such technique is b-radiation detected NMR (β-NMR) which instead of stable isotopes uses short-lived b-decaying radioisotopes. β-NMR offers a billion-fold increase in sensitivity, and allows for interrogation of elements which are otherwise difficult to access.

 At TRIUMF, our group uses the ultrasensitive b-NMR facility to probe the binding of Li and Mg ions to biomolecules in solution at near physiologically relevant concentrations. In addition, we are actively developing additional isotopes for b-NMR (including Ac, Cu, and Zn).