Gregory Boutis, York College of CUNY, Jamaica, NY
Q-space Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging is a well-known non-invasive experimental technique allowing for structural investigations of a variety of complex systems relevant to problems in industry, material science and biology. The technique allows one to accurately measure the morphology of a confining pore and molecular diffusion rate of mobile molecules within interstices of a structurally complex system. In our laboratory we have recently designed a variable temperature NMR microscope capable of delivering gradient pulses on the order of 50,000 G/cm allowing for high resolution (less than 1 micrometer) scattering studies. Elastin is an insoluble and highly cross-linked protein in the extra cellular matrix responsible for the elastic properties of vertebrate tissues. This work focuses on probing the dynamics of waters of hydration in elastin, via q-space NMR imaging, to better the understanding its functional properties.