UK’s most powerful nuclear magnetic resonance instrument to arrive in Warwick

Martin Gallagher (Deeley Construction), Andrew Gibbs (Bruker UK), Iain Dyson (CPW), Chris Coleman (Quantem), Jon Buckingham (University of Warwick), Duncan Leach (BMJ) and Dr Dinu Iuga (University of Warwick).

Work has started to create a home for the UK’s most powerful nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument at the University of Warwick.

Deeley Construction is developing the building which will house the 1.2 GHz NMR spectrometer.

The spectrometer is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and will be provided by Bruker, with additional MAS probes from Phoenix.

Work is expected to be complete on the new single-storey building, which includes a magnet hall, control room and plant room, by early 2025 with the spectrometer installed by the middle of the year.

The instrument will allow the University of Warwick to carry out advanced research on how to make more efficient plant biofuels, and improve batteries and solar cells.

Scientists from around the country will be able to use the instrument, alongside students from the University of Warwick and other universities. There are currently only seven other machines in operation across the globe.

Professor Steven Brown, Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, said: “It is exciting that the project is becoming more concrete as the contractors move onto site to start work on the new building for the state-of-the-art 1.2 GHz NMR spectrometer, for which delivery and installation is expected to be complete by mid-2025.

“This resource for the scientific community nationally will enable applications from pharmaceuticals to solar cells, from batteries to plant cell walls.”

Martin Gallagher, managing director of Deeley Construction, said: “Our team is delivering this project in a live environment and ensuring minimal disruption to students and staff at the University of Warwick.

“This is the fourth project we have worked on at the university campus since 2020 and we are proud to work with the University of Warwick as one of its preferred contractors.

“When completed, the building will be home to an incredibly valuable scientific resource and further cement the university’s reputation as a leading research institution.”

Quantem is providing quantity surveying, employer’s agent and project management services on the project.

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