What is Bioinorganic chemistry?
'''Bioinorganic chemistry''' studies the role of [[metal]]s in [[biology]]. It also studies natural [[wikt:phenomena|phenomena]] such as the behaviour of [[metalloprotein]]s and [[Artificial|artificially]] introduced metals in [[medicine]] and [[toxicology]]. Many [[physiology|biological processes]] such as [[cellular respiration|respiration]] depend on some [[inorganic]] molecules. Bioinorganic chemistry also includes the study of inorganic [[model]]s or [[wikt:mimics|mimics]] that [[wikt:imitate|imitate]] the way metalloproteins work. It is a mix of [[biochemistry]] and [[inorganic chemistry]]. Bioinorganic chemistry studies the implications for biology of [[Electron transfer chain|electron-transfer]] [[protein]]s, [[substrate (chemistry)|substrate]] bindings and [[activation]], [[atom]] and group chemistry as well as metal properties. ==History== [[Paul Ehrlich]] used organoarsenic (“[[arsenic]]als”) for the treatment of [[syphilis]]. This demonstrated the relevance of metals, or at least [[metalloid]]s, to medicine. Then Rosenberg discovered the anti-[[Cancer|cance]]<nowiki/>r activity of [[cisplatin]] (cis-PtCl<sub>2</sub>(NH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>). The first protein ever crystallized was [[urease]]. This has [[nickel]] at its [[active site]]. [[Cyanocobalamin|Vitamin B<sub>12</sub>]], the cure for [[pernicious anemia]], was shown by [[crystallography]] by [[Dorothy Hodgkin]] to have a [[cobalt]] atom in a [[corrin]] macrocycle. The [[Watson-Crick]] structure for [[DNA]] demonstrated the key structural role played by [[phosphate]]-containing [[polymer]]s. ==Research areas== Some areas of interest in research are: * Metal ion transport and storage: this covers a diverse collection of [[ion channel]]s, ion pumps (e.g. [[NaKATPase]]), [[vacuole]]s, [[siderophore]]s, and other [[protein]]s and small [[Molecule|molecules]] whose aim is to carefully control the [[concentration]] of metal [[ion]]s in the [[cell]] (sometimes referred to as [[metallome]]). * [[Hydrolase]] [[Enzyme|enzymes]]: these include