MAGNEFY - MAGNEtic resonance research FacilitY
Good to know
In short- Open-access facility
- Magnetic resonance techniques
- NMR/MRI equipment
The MAGNEtic resonance research FacilitY (MAGNEFY) at WUR is an exceptional NMR facility in Europe, offering user access to a wide array of NMR and MRI spectrometers. Its core mission is to make state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance instruments and methods available to researchers, providing a venue for them to pursue their projects and develop their experience in NMR methods. The facility is also part of the Dutch NMR Large-Scale Research Infrastructure consortium, uNMR-NL.
What is possible at MAGNEFY?
MAGNEFY offers user access to a wide array of state-of-the-art NMR and MRI spectrometers. These instruments span low to high magnetic field strengths (0.4 – 16 T, corresponding to about 20 – 700 MHz for 1H) and include capabilities for liquid-state and solid-state (MAS) NMR spectroscopy, microimaging and velocimetry, e.g. rheo-NMR/-MRI, measurements, as well as time-domain NMR relaxation and diffusion measurements. Applications range from molecular and cellular suspensions to complex food matrices and intact plants.
MAGNEFY provides a uniquely broad spectrum of possibilities across agriculture, food and molecular life science, biology, environmental science, soil science, polymer chemistry, biotechnology, and (bio)physics. The facility offers access to advanced instrumentation, as well as training in spectrometer operation, database use, data processing and interpretation.
Modules
MAGNEFY operates four high-resolution standard-bore NMR Bruker spectrometers — 400 MHz, 500 MHz, 600 MHz, and 700 MHz — that are routinely used for advanced spectroscopic analysis. The 400 MHz, 600 MHz, and 700 MHz instruments are equipped with automation systems, enabling mid- to high-throughput measurements. The 400 MHz spectrometer with a BBFO probe enables sensitive NMR measurements of a variety of nuclei, including 1H, 13C, 311P, and 19F liquid-state NMR spectroscopy. The 600 MHz spectrometer features a cryoprobe for liquid-state NMR spectroscopy, which significantly enhances signal sensitivity compared to standard room-temperature probes. This allows for reliable measurements on samples with limited quantity or low concentration. The 700 MHz spectrometer supports a range of interchangeable probes, including BBI, BBO, HRMAS, and CPMAS. This versatility makes it suitable for analyzing various sample types—liquid, semi-solid, and solid—across a broad spectrum of applications.
What you can do
- Elucidate molecular structures of chemical compounds in solution or solid state, and quantify their fraction.
- Food composition profiling.
- Measure self-diffusion (DOSY) and spin relaxation in a chemically-resolved way.
Example applications
- Real-time monitoring of polymerization reactions.
- Lignin structure characterization.
- Structure elucidation of fluorinated polymer coatings.
- Quantitative profiling of vegetable oil oxidation products by NMR-based oxylipidomics.
The MAGNEFY facility is equipped with two high-field wide-bore (300 MHz and 600 MHz) MRI microimaging spectrometers (Bruker), for spatially-resolved NMR measurements of materials in liquid and/or solid state. Imaging measurements can be run with spatial resolution down to 10-20 µm isotropic. The 600 MHz MRI system is equipped with a cryo-imaging 1H probe for increasing sensitivity in room temperature measurements by reducing noise from probe and electronics. The 300 MHz MRI system is equipped with a shear-controlled rheo-NMR accessory for mapping velocity profiles in Couette cell or cone-plate geometries. Additionally, time-domain NMR or MRI measurements (relaxometry and diffusometry) are also possible on both spectrometers.
What you can do
- Characterize materials microstructures in terms of water or tissue fractions, distributions and mobility, porosity, pore size and interconnectivity.
- Localize chemical components within the material.
- Spatially map mass transport, migration, self-diffusion, and rheological properties (e.g. wall slip, shear banding or shear-induced alignment) in capillary and rotational geometries.
Example applications
- Quantifying food microstructures during in vitro digestion or industrial processing.
- Mapping water/oil fractions in foods, or metabolites distributions in plants.
- Velocity profiling in complex fluids, dispersions, oil/water emulsions, adaptive polymers during shear.
MAGNEFY hosts a 23 MHz low-field time-domain NMR (TD-NMR) Pure Devices system for relaxometry (T₁, T₂) and diffusometry measurements, and correlated two-dimensional relaxation-diffusion mapping. The instrument is equipped with a gradient amplifier, enabling three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capabilities for spatially resolved studies. The instrument has been recently equipped with in situ flow-MRI measurements capabilities.
In addition to its in-house system, MAGNEFY has access to the 20 MHz TD-NMR Minispec Bruker instruments owned by Unilever, located in the Hive on WUR campus. These systems feature automation capabilities that support high-throughput measurements, making them ideal for large-scale screening applications.
What you can do
- Measure T₁, T₂, and self-diffusion coefficients of liquid samples.
- Analyse water distribution in (semi-)solid matrices.
- Determine droplet sizes or solid fat content in foods or cosmetics.
- Measure spatial and rheological properties by MRI and velocimetry.
Example applications
Why choose this facility?
- MAGNEFY is an open-access facility available to all users.
- Offers a broad range of advanced magnetic resonance techniques, including high-field NMR spectroscopy, MRI, rheo-NMR and time-domain NMR measurements.
- Offers support from the facility manager covering data acquisition and interpretation.
- Offers the possibility to users to become members of the facility, having unlimited access to the NMR/MRI equipment at a competitive cost.
- Provides access to the national ultrahigh-field NMR infrastructure (uNMR-NL).
Who is MAGNEFY intended for?
MAGNEFY - MAGNEtic resonance research FacilitY
MAGNEFY welcomes national and international researchers interested in applying magnetic resonance techniques in their work. The facility is open to users from food science, molecular life sciences, materials science, and organic chemistry, as well as those from other disciplines who wish to explore its capabilities. We provide access to advanced instrumentation and support for diverse research applications across scientific domains.