Strongest magnet lifts hopes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The world’s strongest superconducting magnet now resides at Florida State University’s mag lab. And it could provide the first step in one day developing new drugs.
The magnetic field it produces is 21.1 Tesla, units of magnetic strength. That makes it the strongest superconducting magnet, with what’s called an ultra-wide bore, ever on Earth.
The bore, essentially a hole through the center that is 4 inches wide, is where the center of the magnetic field lies. The bigger bore will allow a wider range of experiments to be performed.
Here’s why that’s important: Researchers will be able to measure the shapes of molecules that were too complicated to be measured before, said Tom Painter, an assistant director at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
“And when you know the shape of the molecule,” such as those of proteins in the body, “you can focus drugs to match with the molecules,” Painter said.
Painter said the new magnet – which will be made available to researchers from around the globe – already has one planned use, to further tuberculosis research.
Other illnesses that drugs could be developed for include flus, malaria and AIDS.
“It’s a big deal,” said Tim Cross, a chemistry and biochemistry professor and director of the lab’s Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging Program.
The breakthrough helps the lab at a critical time. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush reportedly was planning to veto $10 million for the mag lab this past legislative session, before changing his mind.
“We’ve got world-class status now in superconducting magnets,” Cross said.
Superconductivity means the complete absence of electrical resistance, done in very cold temperatures. In this case, the magnet is supercooled by liquid helium to minus 456.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cross said researchers also will be able to put laboratory animals, such as mice and rats, into the field without harming them. The entire unit is 16 feet tall by 7 feet in diameter.
The magnet cost about $15 million to develop, Cross said. He could not offer a dollar amount for how much it will cost to run it, only saying it might cost “a few hundred dollars a day.”
“There will be very significant advances in medical research as a result of this unique tool,” he added.