Magnetic resonance studies of bioinorganic systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research program is focused on understanding how certain biochemical reactions are accelerated by the presence of metal ions. Millions of years of evolution have given metal-ion containing enzymes (metalloenzymes) unsurpassed abilities to perform chemical reactions under biological conditions. We are focused on understanding the subtleties of their mechanisms so that we can modify their reactivity or mimic it in non-biological systems. The analytical techniques we use in these studies are Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy. These methods allow us to study in great detail the arrangement of molecules near catalytic metal species.