Metals in Biology

Life depends on the proper functioning of metalated proteins and nucleic acids. In this course we will study the structures and reactivities of metalloproteins and other metallobiomolecules. We will begin with an overview of biological inorganic chemistry that includes metal ions in proteins, metal cofactors, transport and storage of metals, and metals in medicine. We will then proceed to a variety of special topics (e.g., oxygen metabolism, nitrogen fixation, and electron transfer), depending on the specific interests of the students. The textbook will be Biological Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity by Bertini, Gray, Stiefel, and Valentine. (CHEM 0104 or CHEM 0107).