Bioinorganic chemistry of metalloproteins and synthetic analogues

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The research to be carried out concerns the biological functionality of metals and their host molecules, and the prediction of properties for technological applications of synthetic analogues. Metals in biological systems control all life, in many cases by binding to the donor atoms of amino acids in the peptide chains of proteins. Metal ions also bind to specific chelators that then activate proteins for function. Metals are the active site for catalysis, maintain cellular ionic strength, form structural materials and control protein folding through their coordination to amino acids. While all organisms require a variety of metals, the supply and availability of these metal ions must be regulated in the cell to avoid deficiency, leading to functional stress, while an excess leads to toxicity.