Research Interests of Hanna Gracz

• Modern multinuclear and multidimensional high resolution NMR techniques and analysis of structure and dynamic of biomolecules.
• Background in physical chemistry and biochemistry of nucleosides and nucleic acids. Since 1976 committed to use and develop NMR spectroscopy for study of RNA and nucleotide structure. Earlier studies involved the synthesis and characterization of nucleotides and nucleosides using classical spectroscopical techniques UV, fluorescence, CD and X-rays of small molecules.
• Experienced on Bruker, Varian/Agilent, Jeol, Nicolet, and Omega systems (90 MHz to 900 MHz) spectrometers including cryoprobes, familiar with Red Hat Linux, UNIX operating system and PC-based computers.

Magnetic spin gymnastic

Magnetization depicted as a time dependent vector M(t). On the left site of the figure spiral trajectory of magnetization in an external static magnetic field B₀ in Cartesian coordinates x,y,z including influence of T₁ and T₂ relaxation phenomena on a magnetization vector. On right site of the figure is the visual exponential decay of magnetization in the y plane as function of T₂.

Schematic Representation of an NMR Spectrometer

Schematic block representation of NMR spectrometer including, from left to right, computer workstation, NMR console, magnet with detailed inner bore structure and cryogen filling ports, cutaway view of probe with its electronic and sample holder.

2D ¹H-¹⁵N HSQC/imino region /Iron Regulatory Element of mRNA

Two dimensional ¹H-¹⁵N HSQC NMR spectrum of imino region of Iron Regulatory Element - 30 mer mRNA. Figure depicts specific section of 10-15 ppm proton region and 140-165 ppm nitrogen region. One dimensional proton spectrum of imino region is presented on a top axis with assignment of G (guanosine) and U (uridine) residues corresponding to the pattern of peaks in the two dimensional plot. There are six guanosine peaks in a region between 140 and 146 ppm nitrogen and 10 and 13.5 ppm proton. The uridine is split into two sections, a single peak at approximately 155 ppm nitrogen and 11.8 ppm proton and a group of 5 peaks at approximately 160 ppm nitrogen and between 13.75 and 14.6 ppm proton.

Three Dimensional Structure of 30-mer Iron Regulatory Element (IRE)

This image depicts two views, front and back, of the 30 mer Iron Regulatory Element (IRE). The middle of the molecule exhibits a bulge, the ball located in this region stands for the docked cobalt hexamine analog of magnesium ion. Balls in the upper and lower section of the structure represent nucleotides of the stem and loop regions of the 30 mer IRE sequence.

If you have any questions about anything here please contact Hanna Gracz at Hanna_Gracz@ncsu.edu