Research staff maintaining this facility have the capabilities and experience to perform in vivo and ex vivo MRI studies on a variety of experimental species, covering a wide range of applications such as structural, diffusion, and functional MRI. MR spectroscopy is available for a comprehensive range of nuclei (1H, 13C, 31P, 129Xe etc.) and sample types, e.g. biofluids, biopsies.
Facility staff assistance with data analysis, and implementation and development of MR experiments for end users can be incorporated into research objectives.
7T MRI
(Alfred Denny Building G Floor)
Horizontal Bore Bruker Biospec (70/30S)
Dedicated imaging gradient inserts (660mT/m) and (1000mT/m)
RF coils, including quadrature 1H volume coils (156, 86, & 35mm inner diameter), single loop 1H surface coils, and two 4-channel phased array coils (mouse & rat). Dual nuclei surface RF coils ( 13C/1H, 31P/1H)
Designated surgical theatre, recovery room
Mobile anaesthesia and gas delivery system
Physiology monitoring equipment (Respiration rate, and ECG)
Zoovent artificial respiration control system
Blood gas analyser
Dedicated electronics lab space and equipment
9.4T MRI/S
(Jessop Wing, Level 4)
Imaging: Vertical Bore Bruker MRI/S system
Imaging gradient insert (1500 mT/m)
Imaging probes
1H detection, 5, 25 mm, volume coil
1H/13C detection, 10, 25 mm, volume coil
1H/31P detection, microscope slides
MR elastography transducer and driver
Live animal physiology maintenance and monitoring (temperature, breathing, ECG). Live zebrafish maintenance and recovery
Full anaesthetic via dedicated isoflurane vaporiser and nose cone system
Separate room for animal preparation
Spectroscopy:
Broadband 5 mm high-resolution liquid spectroscopy probe for 1H and broadband nuclei detection (e.g. 13C, 15N, 19F). This is used extensively to perform metabolomics studies of cells and biofluids
Automatic sample changer for high throughput scanning and overnight/weekend data acquisition
High-resolution Magic Angle Spinning multinuclear probe (1H, 13C, 31P), used to obtain MR spectra of solid-state samples including powders, cells and biopsy tissue
Other
13C Hyperpolarisation - HyperSense:
The 9.4T facility possesses a HyperSense polarizer for in vivo/ex vivo real time detection of cellular metabolism using non-radioactive isotope tracers, e.g 13C-pyruvate for cancer metabolism
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