Biophysical chemistry is a physical science that uses the concepts of

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

for the study of biological systems. The most common feature of the research in this subject is to seek an explanation of the various phenomena in biological systems in terms of either the molecules that make up the system or the supra-molecular structure of these systems. Apart from the biological applications, recent research showed progress in the medical field as well.

History

Twentieth Century

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

The oldest concept of biophysical chemistry started from the curiosity of Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer, a physical chemist who wanted to approach biological and physiological problems with knowledge of physics and chemistry. One example of his work is studying the effect of

electric current An electric current is a flow of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. It is defined as the net rate of flow of electric charge through a surface. The moving particles are called charge c ...

on iron to simulate

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the Electrochemistry, electrochemical nerv ...

excitations. After the establishment of fundamental biophysical chemistry in Göttingen, Manfred Eigen, the German Nobel Laureate developed it further. In 1971, he improved the research focus by merging two institutes, physical chemistry, and spectroscopy. Nowadays, the research in biophysical chemistry in Göttingen aims to discover life processes using the combined knowledge of science.

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

The renowned scientist, Herman Berendsen launched a research group at the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, th ...

focused on using NMR to monitor water and protein in biological systems. The study expands the structural understanding of water bonding which explains a lot of phenomena.

Modern history

Current approaches to biophysical research include but are not limited to the study of

ion channels Ion channels are pore-forming membrane proteins that allow ions to pass through the channel pore. Their functions include establishing a resting membrane potential, shaping action potentials and other electrical signals by gating the flow of ...

, promoters, stem cells, and the detection and analysis of

biomolecules A biomolecule or biological molecule is loosely defined as a molecule produced by a living organism and essential to one or more typically biological processes. Biomolecules include large macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipi ...

Techniques

Biophysical chemists employ various techniques used in physical chemistry to probe the structure of biological systems. These techniques include spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and other techniques like

X-ray diffraction X-ray diffraction is a generic term for phenomena associated with changes in the direction of X-ray beams due to interactions with the electrons around atoms. It occurs due to elastic scattering, when there is no change in the energy of the waves. ...

and cryo-electron microscopy. An example of research in biophysical chemistry includes the work for which the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded. The prize was based on X-ray crystallographic studies of the ribosome that helped to unravel the physical basis of its biological function as a molecular machine that translates

mRNA In molecular biology, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of Protein biosynthesis, synthesizing a protein. mRNA is ...

into polypeptides. Other areas in which biophysical chemists engage themselves are protein structure and the functional structure of cell membranes. For example,

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

action can be explained in terms of the shape of a pocket in the protein molecule that matches the shape of the substrate molecule or its modification due to binding of a metal ion. The structures of many large protein assemblies, such as ATP synthase, also exhibit machine-like dynamics as they act on their substrates. Similarly, the structure and function of the biomembranes may be understood through the study of model supramolecular structures as liposomes or

phospholipid Phospholipids are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typ ...

vesicles of different compositions and sizes.

Applications

There are several biological and medical applications that apply the knowledge of biophysical chemistry to benefit humankind.

Study of Cell Membrane

Lipid bilayer membrane is a name to describe the composition of the

cell membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of a cell from the outside environment (the extr ...

. With the current knowledge and advancement of the instrument, it is possible to study the properties of lipid bilayers such as

viscosity Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's rate-dependent drag (physics), resistance to a change in shape or to movement of its neighboring portions relative to one another. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of ''thickness''; for e ...

. The study applied the fluorescence spectroscopy technique to identify that even if there is only a single phospholipid bilayer constructs the liposome, we can still detect a different level of viscosity existing in the membrane.

Study of Protein Reactions

Several spectroscopic methods allow modern scientists to identify the kinetic components of protein reactions in biological systems. Moreover, it is possible to adjust and engineer biological reactions by applying laser radiation to them. For instance, we can induce the process of protein crystallization using the technique called " laser trapping".

Hydrogel Synthesis

Riboflavin Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is a vitamin found in food and sold as a dietary supplement. It is essential to the formation of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. These coenzymes are involved in ...

, or commonly, vitamin B2, has the ability to become a reactive species that can undergo various reactions under the existence of light and oxygen. The significant reaction involved the synthesis of a hydrogel. Hydrogel is a porous material that can hold a large amount of water while maintaining its shape. The application of hydrogel includes drug delivery, artificial muscles, tissue engineering, etc.

Enzyme Improvement

Enzymes An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as pro ...

are substances that can accelerate chemical reactions. However, the usage of enzymes in real applications has a lot of limitations, including, but not limited to stability, compatibility, and cost. By using the concept of biophysical chemistry, it is possible to improve those limitations, as well as increase the performance of enzymes.

Anticancer Drugs

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule that is the basis of all living things. Moreover, it is a main target of anticancer drugs. Studying the interaction between drugs and DNA allows the researcher to develop drugs that could efficiently treat cancer.

Institutes

The oldest reputed institute for biophysical chemistry is the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in

Göttingen Göttingen (, ; ; ) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. According to the 2022 German census, t ...

Journals

Biophysical chemistry journals include '' Biophysical Journal'', '' Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics'' (published by Academic Press), '' Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications'' (Academic Press), '' Biochimica et Biophysica Acta'' ( Elsevier Science), ''Biophysical Chemistry'', ''An International Journal devoted to the Physics and Chemistry of Biological Phenomena'' (Elsevier), '' Journal of Biochemical and Biophysical Methods'' (Elsevier), ''Journal of Biochemistry'', ''Biology and Biophysics'' (

Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research and Dovepress. It i ...

), and '' Journal de Chimie Physique'', ''Physico-Chimie Biologique'' ( EDP Sciences and the Société Française de Chimie).

References

Bibliography

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