Charged particle single nanometre manufacturing

Following a brief historical summary of the way in which electron beam lithography developed out of the scanning electron microscope, three state-of-the-art charged-particle beam nanopatterning technologies are considered. All three have been the subject of a recently completed European Union Project entitled "Single Nanometre Manufacturing:...

Hypothesis: entatic versus ecstatic states in metalloproteins

Over half a century ago the hypothesis was put forth that redox-active metal ions and multidentate protein ligands may combine to form a local state of entasis: an irregular symmetry intermediate between those dictated by coordination chemistry for the two redox states involved. Such an energetically poised domain would be at the basis of high...

Structure and function of the hybrid cluster protein

A hybrid cluster (HC) is a 4Fe cluster with both sulfur and oxygen bridges. Hybrid cluster proteins (Hcps) contain two 4Fe clusters, a one electron transferring iron-sulfur cluster and a hybrid cluster. The structural gene, hcp, is diffusely found in bacteria, archaea, and monocellular eukarya, and the HC binding motif involving amino acids H...

Iron–sulfur clusters as inhibitors and catalysts of viral replication

A virus hijacks host cellular machineries and metabolites in order to reproduce. In response, the innate immune system activates different processes to fight back. Although many aspects of these processes have been well investigated, the key roles played by iron–sulfur [FeS] clusters, which are among the oldest classes of bio-inorganic...

The Development of Tungsten Biochemistry-A Personal Recollection

The development of tungsten biochemistry is sketched from the viewpoint of personal participation. Following its identification as a bio-element, a catalogue of genes, enzymes, and reactions was built up. EPR spectroscopic monitoring of redox states was, and remains, a prominent tool in attempts to understand tungstopterin-based catalysis. A...