Thomas James

Research

Our research predominantly entails use of nuclear magnetic resonance. Most of our current effort involves use of high-resolution NMR to study biomolecular structure and dynamics, as well as for drug discovery.A rather different aspect of exploiting the versatility of the magnetic resonance phenomenon has been applied to in vivo studies. For example, we have been successful in development of molecular signals for in vivo monitoring of effects caused by toxic agents. Specifically we have been developing a means of following glutathione in rat liver in situ using NMR; we can simultaneously follow other markers of intracellular pH and bioenergetics with the radiofrequency coil developed for these studies. We have also successfully demonstrated a bioreactor for use in NMR spectrometers; with further development, the bioreactor containing hepatocytes could prove to be a useful toxicology tool as well.