The Chemistry of Metal Ions in Biological Systems

This course deals with the chemical reactivity and function of metal ions in biological systems. This field of research (also called bioinorganic chemistry or biological inorganic chemistry) is a interdisciplinary field, which has connections to biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, biology, biophysics and pharmacology. The central purpose is to illustrate how metal ions are essential for life. Their function may range from the simple charge balance and structural role to the complex roles in which they transfer electrons, break bonds, make bonds or control biochemical reactions.

The course content is dynamic and will reflect the current hot topics/new discoveries in bioinorganic chemistry. The course will contain selections of the following subjects:

• Biological trace elements, and their abundance and bioavailability.
• The coordination chemistry of selected metal ions
• Bioinorganic model systems.
• Biological metal ion transport mechanisms (uptake, storage).
• Metal ion and metal ion complexes’ interaction with proteins and nucleic acids.
• Metal ions in diseases and medicine. 
• Dioxygen transport proteins.
• The coordination chemistry and mechanism of dioxygen activating iron enzymes such as the heme containing cytochrome P450.
• Dioxygen activating copper enzymes (multi-copper oxidases) and other enzymes in oxygen metabolism such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidases and catalase.
• Nitrogenase and biological dinitrogen fixation.
• The bioinorganic chemistry of selected metal ions e.g. zink (hydrolytic enzymes), copper (multi-copper oxidases).
• Interaction of metal ions with DNA and RNA.
• Metalloproteins in biological electron transfer (photosynthesis, respiration) and the physical nature of electron transfer.
• Bioinorganic chemistry in biotechnology, environmental context and in biocatalysis.
• Introduction to the theory behind experimental techniques used for studying metal ions in biological systems. Examples of such techniques are mass spectrometry (MS), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), circular dichroism (CD).