Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility

Abstract Metabolic flux analysis enables the quantitative examination of the production and consumption of metabolites in biological systems. The most robust methods for metabolic flux analysis employ stable isotope probes, with 13C being the most commonly used probe. This technique, known as 13C‐MFA, requires the accurate quantification of the extent of stable isotope incorporation into metabolites of interest. NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool that is well suited to this analysis because of its ability to differentiate between 13C and 12C. Recent advances in NMR technology have enabled the acquisition of new data types that are poised to have significant impacts on the spectrometer time required and information content available for 13C‐MFA. In this article, we describe these techniques and the accompanying information that can be obtained using them. Together, these technologies provide several new experimental tools that will benefit research in medicine, bioengineering, and environmental science.