Wine as a Gateway to Advanced Science: Georgia Tech’s Innovative Outreach
New research originating from Georgia Tech demonstrates the surprising potential of a common beverage – wine – to illuminate complex scientific concepts and cutting-edge technologies. A novel project, spearheaded by faculty at the institution, leverages the appeal of wine to make advanced research accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. This initiative centers around nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and provides a readily adaptable educational module for introductory chemistry and biochemistry courses.
The project’s origins trace back to an event at the Atlanta Science Festival, hosted by Andrew McShan, Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. During the festival, participants were able to directly engage with the science behind wine, sparking the idea for a broader educational tool. The team’s findings, detailed in the study “Automated Chemical Profiling of Wine by Solution NMR Spectroscopy: A Demonstration for Outreach and Education,” were published earlier this year in the Journal of Chemical Education.
Unlocking Wine’s Chemistry with NMR Spectroscopy
The research was conducted by a collaborative team including lead author McShan, alongside Ph.D. students Lily Capeci, Elizabeth A. Corbin, Ruoqing Jia, Miriam K. Simma, and F. N. U. Vidya. Mary E. Peek, an Academic Professional, and Johannes E. Leisen and Hongwei Wu, Co-Directors of the Georgia Tech NMR Center, also contributed significantly to the work. McShan emphasizes the importance of NMR, stating, “NMR is one of the most widely used analytical tools in chemistry and the life sciences, and Georgia Tech hosts one of the most cutting-edge NMR centers in the world.”
The study reveals that a sophisticated understanding of NMR isn’t a prerequisite for appreciating its power and applications in scientific investigation. The team developed freely available resources, including online tutorials and a YouTube video, to facilitate replication of the activity even in environments lacking direct access to NMR facilities. This accessibility is a key component of the project’s mission to broaden scientific literacy.
From Science Festival to Real-World Applications
During the Atlanta Science Festival event, nearly 130 attendees – ranging from families with K-12 students to undergraduate learners and adults without formal chemistry backgrounds – participated in a hands-on exploration of wine chemistry at the Georgia Tech NMR Center. Guided by McShan, participants analyzed the chemical composition of wine, identifying and quantifying over 70 compounds responsible for its taste, aroma, and overall quality.
Participants took on the role of “wine investigators,” applying NMR techniques to detect potential instances of wine fraud and identify dangerous adulterants such as methanol, antifreeze, and lead acetate – substances historically and currently used in deceptive practices. McShan notes, “By connecting the science to something familiar like wine, we were able to spark curiosity and excitement across age groups.”
Expanding Scientific Outreach and Education
The research highlights the potential of NMR and similar technologies to serve as effective outreach tools, both for public engagement and enhanced undergraduate instruction. Feedback from the Atlanta Science Festival indicated that adults gained insight into the relationship between chemical composition and wine characteristics, while younger participants grasped fundamental concepts about wine’s makeup and enjoyed the visual aspect of the spectrometer in operation.
The team intends to build upon these successes, developing further outreach materials and establishing NMR as a practical teaching resource grounded in real-world examples. McShan’s ultimate goal is to introduce the public to the advanced instrumentation available at Georgia Tech and prepare undergraduate students for the analytical techniques they will encounter in their future careers. This work was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.
