Medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering stand poised to benefit within the next few years from the ingenuity of complex biological structures invented and perfected by nature over millions of years. This book provides both researchers and engineers as well as students of all the natural sciences a vivid insight into the world of bioelectronics and nature's own nanotechnological treasure chamber.
From May 3-7,1997, the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on 'Biological Electron Transfer Chains' was organized in Tomar, Portugal. In the application for support the choice of the topic was justified as follows: "[Until recently efforts] have concentrated on the study of the structure and function of individual redox enzymes and proteins. Enough information is now available to make a start with the study of biological electron transfer (E1) at the next higher level of organization, that of the complete ET chain." The interest in the workshop was high: the majority of participants had registered before the workshop was formally announced, which illustrates the popularity of the topic within the biochemical and biophysical communities. The present volume contains a number of reports based on the lectures presented by the key speakers during the meeting. The workshop dealt with the following three themes: a) Electron transfer, which is the subject of Chapter 1. The analysis of ET at the molecular level is still fundamental for an understanding of how ET chains operate in vivo. After 40 years of research the contours of the subject are becoming clear now. b) Bacterial redox chains. This is the subject of Chapter 2. Its contents show how complicated these chains can be, often involving a number of gene clusters. Our understanding of the regulatory aspects and control mechanisms of these chains is only in its beginning.
Linus Pauling called haemoglobin the most interesting and important of molecules. This important volume shows how X-ray crystallography was used to determine its bewilderingly complex atomic structure and to unravel the stereochemical mechanisms of its respiratory functions. It introduces isomorphous replacement with heavy atoms which led to the first protein structures, haemoglobin and its simpler relative myoglobin. Later papers deal with the stereochemistry of the cooperative effects of haemoglobin, with the relationships between the structures and impaired functions of abnormal haemoglobin, with species adaptation of haemoglobin, and with its action as a drug receptor and as an oxygen sensor. The final papers deal with amino acid repeats which act as polar zippers and their role in certain inherited neurodegenerative diseases.
The biological activation of dioxygen is a key reaction in biological systems. Enzymes involved in direct oxygen activation are oxidases and oxygenases. Multi-copper oxidases are an important class of oxidases reducing dioxygen in a four-electron reduction to water with concomitant one-electron oxidation of the reducing substrate. The progress in the characterization and understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes has advanced so tremendously over the last ten years that the publication of a book documenting these achievements has been overdue.Especially the recent discovery of a key role of the FET3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisae, a multi-copper oxidase, in iron metabolism of this eukaryote has underpinned the function of the plasma multi-copper oxidase ceruloplasmin in vetebrate iron transport. The lately determined x-ray structure of human ceruloplasmin confirms its close structural relatedness to the plant multi-copper oxidases ascorbate oxidase and laccase and due to strong amino-acid sequence similarities has allowed to construct a useful model of the more distantly related blood-clotting factor VIII.This book contains review articles from experts in the field, dealing with modern spectroscopy, enzyme kinetics, bioinorganic chemistry, x-ray crystallography, electron transfer reactions, molecular biology, medical aspects and potential industrial applications of the three main members of multi-copper oxidases, i.e., laccase, ascorbate oxidase and ceruloplasmin.
The aim of this book is to disseminate the most recent research in science and technology against microbial pathogens presented at the first edition of the ICAR Conference Series (ICAR2010) held in Valladolid, Spain, in November 2010.This volume is a compilation of 86 chapters written by active researchers that offer information and experiences and afford critical insights into anti-microbe strategies in a general context marked by the threat posed by the increasing antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. “Anti” is here taken in a wide sense as “against cell cycle, adhesion, or communication”, and when harmful for the human health (infectious diseases, chemotherapy etc.) and industry or economy (food, agriculture, water systems etc.)The book examines this interesting subject area from antimicrobial resistance (superbugs, emerging and re-emerging pathogens etc.), to the use of natural products or microbes against microbial pathogens, not forgetting antimicrobial chemistry, physics and material science.Readers will find in a single volume, up-to-date information of the current knowledge in antimicrobial research. The book is recommended for researchers from a broad range of academic disciplines that are contributing in the battle against harmful microorganisms, not only those more traditionally involved in this research area (microbiologists, biochemists, geneticists, clinicians etc.), but also experimental and theoretical/computational chemists, physicists or engineers.
Since the first suffering supplicant offered a prayer to his god or the first mother cradled an ailing child in her caring arms, we have witnessed how human health and healing go beyond any inventory of parts and infusion of chemicals. We humans are a complex melding of thought, emotion, spirit and energy and each of those components is as critical to our well-being as our physiological status. Even if we are just beginning to quantify and document these seemingly intangible aspect, to ignore them in the practice of medicine is neglect and an invitation to do harm. The Scientific Basis of Integrative Health has been extensively updated and expanded to provide a comprehensive guide to integrative medicine. Taking a balanced and objective approach, this leading text bridges the gap between Western science and Eastern philosophy. It provides doctors and other health practitioners with information on complementary and alternative approaches to health, that is authoritative, evidence based, and epidemiologically substantiated. Written for doctors and healthcare professionals by pioneering practitioners and updated with the newest research across and increasing range of possibilities, this third edition includes nine new chapters covering topics such as: Electrophotonic imaging; Neuroacupuncture; Naturopathic medicine; Integrative nutrition.