Refinement of the Active Site Geometry of NiSOD Model Peptides - a Spectroscopic Approach

One particular field of interest in the transient area between physical chemistry and biochemistry is the investigation of the role of radicals in biochemistry. Superoxide radicals are an unavoidable byproduct of aerobic respiration. Hence, they are constantly produced in the cells of all aerobic living organisms. However, radicals pose a threat to living cells by damaging proteins, nucleic acids and fatty acids. Consequently, aerobic life forms had to develop processes to convert these harmful molecules into innocuous products.