Next Generation Helium Liquefier (NexGen)with High Pressure Recovery.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for performing sponsored research and other sponsored activities under grants and contracts funded by the sponsor or by sources other than State appropriations. (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b)(8)) At the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), the shared Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) instrument core, located in the Center for Structural Biology, houses three NMR spectrometers with an additional instrument planned for installation in the coming months. Thus, this facility demands substantial liquid helium, which is both costly and uses a depleting natural resource. This instrument purchase will prepare the site and install a helium recycling unit that has multiple instrument capabilities in the Center for Structural Biology. The addition of this new system will streamline our operations, modernize our facility, and enable an increased user base for this shared facility.