University of Maryland Buys Eight-Ton Magnet

The University of Maryland’s School of Medicine is purchasing a magnet that's strong enough to lift 50 cars.

David Weber uses proteins to make drugs that fight cancer.

The problem is, he can’t see them.

The strongest microscopes in the world you wouldn’t see anything.

You just see a clear solution (laughing).

But now Weber will have the two-story magnet, which he says looks like R2-D2 since it stands on two legs.

And when he places the protein in it, and passes radio waves through, he’ll get a 3-D image of its components.

Structures that look like bed sheets that strand up and strand back.

He'll also be able to watch changes when the protein is mixed with different drugs.

Thirty-four other researchers will use the magnet to study cancer, AIDS, and other diseases.