Bioinorganic Chemistry
Written Exam.
Nature utilizes metal ions and metal complexes to undertake several crucial processes. In fact, a human being requires about 25 elements to have a healthy life, half of them being metals! The chemical study of metals in biology is referred as bioinorganic chemistry. This area of research encompasses the study of metallo-enzymes (i.e. vitamin B12) or biological processes such as respiration. In this course, a general overview of the role of metals in biology will be presented. It is also planned to outline to role that metal complexes can play to understand biological processes.
The course will be divided into two main sections. In the first section, the role of metal ions in a few key metalloproteins and biological processes will be explained. The second section will focus on the use of metal complexes to detect specific organelles/biomolecules, or a discussion to understand/modify biological processes. A large emphasis will be placed on experiments, which have been carried out in living cells or organisms.
Teaching language: EN
