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Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies To Elucidate The Structure Of Water At Biological Interfaces, Bahar Bahrani, Luke O'Neill, Hugh Byrne
Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies To Elucidate The Structure Of Water At Biological Interfaces, Bahar Bahrani, Luke O'Neill, Hugh Byrne
Articles
In biological systems, water takes up to 80% of the volume inside a cell. This water solubilizes the biological macromolecules such as the DNA, proteins and lipids. Recent advancements have shown that the water at the interface of a lipid membrane is structured, as five layers of structured water have been found at this solvent cage. Steady state Raman spectroscopy of water in lipids was performed in an attempt to elucidate the structure of water at the biological interface. Deuterium oxide (heavy water) was employed to hydrate lipid biomolecules. The heavier deuterium atom shifts the molecular vibrations and renders them …