Osborn Popp, Thomas M., Brandon T. Matchett, Rashawn G. Green, Insha Chhabra, Smriti Mumudi, Ashley D. Bernstein, Jacqueline R. Perodeau, and Andrew J. Nieuwkoop. “3D-Printable Centrifugal Devices for Biomolecular Solid State NMR Rotors.” Journal of Magnetic Resonance 354 (September 1, 2023): 107524.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmr.2023.107524.
The advent of magic angle spinning (MAS) rates exceeding 100 kHz has facilitated the acquisition of 1H-detected solid-state NMR spectra of biomolecules with high resolution. However, challenges can arise when preparing rotors for these experiments, due to the physical properties of biomolecular solid samples and the small dimensions of the rotors. In this study, we have designed 3D-printable centrifugal devices that facilitate efficient and consistent packing of crystalline protein slurries or viscous phospholipids into 0.7 mm rotors. We demonstrate the efficacy of these packing devices using 1H-detected solid state NMR at 105 kHz. In addition to devices for 0.7 mm rotors, we have also developed devices for other frequently employed rotor sizes and styles. We have made all our designs openly accessible, and we encourage their usage and ongoing development as a shared effort within the solid state NMR community.