10 December 2025
The MR LATVIA project has successfully concluded its 5th Inter-Institutional Scientific Webinar, focusing on recent methodological advances that expand the capabilities of protein NMR spectroscopy in live human cells. Hosted by the CERM/CIRMMP Research Infrastructure (Florence, Italy), the event brought together researchers and infrastructure partners committed to pushing the boundaries of magnetic resonance applications in cellular environments.
The webinar featured an in-depth scientific lecture by Enrico Luchinat (CERM/CIRMMP) titled “Advanced Labelling Schemes for Protein NMR in Live Human Cells.” His talk addressed core experimental challenges inherent to in-cell NMR—low protein concentration, spectral crowding, and rapid relaxation—and presented innovative isotopic labeling solutions designed to overcome these limitations.
Luchinat outlined a series of methodological developments that enable high-fidelity NMR measurements directly inside living human cells:
- Selective amino-acid isotopic labelling, allowing the reduction of background signals and simplified spectral interpretation in complex intracellular environments.
- Exploitation of endogenous human-cell transaminase activity to generate isotopically enriched amino acids from α-keto acid precursors, providing a cost-efficient and metabolically compatible route to labeling.
- Methyl-specific and ^13C-enrichment schemes, optimised for observing side-chain dynamics and long-range structural correlations in intracellularly expressed proteins.
- ^19F labelling strategies, enabling sensitive detection of conformational and interaction states in proteins with fast relaxation properties or limited proton-based visibility.
These techniques were illustrated through recent experimental datasets demonstrating successful incorporation of labeled residues, improved spectral resolution, and expanded capability to track protein folding, maturation, oxidation states, and interaction networks within the native cellular environment.
The session concluded with a focused Q&A and open scientific discussion, during which participants examined practical considerations for implementing labeling schemes in human cell culture, quantitative assessment of labelling efficiency (via NMR and MS), and the potential to integrate advanced labeling strategies with high-field instrumentation available across European NMR infrastructures.
This webinar forms part of the ongoing activities of MR LATVIA – Development of Magnetic Resonance in Latvia, conducted in collaboration with:
- Centre de RMN à très hauts champs de Lyon (CRMN), France
- CERM/CIRMMP Infrastructure, Florence, Italy
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS), Riga, Latvia
The initiative aims to strengthen Latvia’s scientific capacity in high-field NMR methodology and promote joint research, technology transfer, and knowledge exchange across European infrastructures.
Funded by the HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02 programme, this initiative aims to strengthen research capacities and scientific excellence across Europe.