Pickleball Magazine 5-1 | Page 51

The first Ascend 1.1 GHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer, the largest and most powerful device of its kind, will allow St. Jude researchers to study proteins, DNA, RNA and other biomolecules to better understand cancer and other catastrophic diseases that affect children. The goal is to advance the research done at St. Jude and translate that research into cures for children. Having the right tool, the power and the resolution that the NMR provides will let scientists at St. Jude do research that, up until now, has been impossible. The NMR will be used extensively by the Structural Biology Department at St. Jude to tackle important biological systems with the goal of understanding health and disease at the molecular and atomic level. It is the centerpiece of the department’s expansion, which is being led by Charalampos “Babis” Kalodimos, Ph.D., department chair (previous page photo, left). On the right is Youlin Xia, Director, Center for Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Structural Biology. “This 1.1 GHz system provides unprecedented capabilities and opportunities for us to answer challenging biological questions,” Kalodimos said. “It will be our most important tool to perform research in the area of dynamic molecular machines that are otherwise not amenable to other technologies.” Dr. James R. Downing, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital President and CEO, said the addition of the NMR will significantly enhance the technological infrastructure within the Structural Biology Department. “In our fight against pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases, it is imperative that we learn as much as possible about the basic relationships within cells and how those relationships affect the growth and also treatment of disease,” Downing explained. “Investments in state-of-the-art technology like this NMR spectrometer allow us to make scientific progress faster. Not only will we be able to use NMR technology to identify proteins that may be the root cause of cancer, but we can also see how those proteins are affected by our treatments. This could lead to major breakthroughs in our understanding of disease pathogenesis and therapeutic responses.” These advancements in technology will improve treatment and research for children with life- threatening illnesses globally—children like Gabe, a St. Jude patient, who recently took his first steps without the aid of a walker at the St. Jude Walk/Run Minneapolis, nearly two years after brain surgery left him paralyzed. His treatment for brain cancer had included surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, but he had also undergone tough physical and occupational therapies. Most of the time, he relied on his wheelchair, but he’d been working hard to change that. Gabe put one foot in front of the other, and he walked. “Honestly, everything went so great. He did some of the best walking with someone not behind him,” said his mom, Andrea. “He asked me, ‘Mom, are you proud I did it?’ I teared up. He’s always been the kid who wants to please people. I told him, ‘I’m proud of you no matter what. You’ve done so much, bud. Every step is an accomplishment.’” St. Jude thanks USAPA for making moments like these possible and for being a part of the St. Jude family. It assures that the fundraising makes a huge difference. Danny Thomas believed that many small gifts were more important than a one-million-dollar gift and St. Jude’s partnership with USAPA is really about rallying many people nationwide to make a huge impact for the researchers, doctors, nurses, families and patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To continue making an impact, visit www.stjude.org/ get-involved/fundraising-ideas.html. • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 | MAGAZINE 49