This volume brings together the lectures given during the 1999 session of the School of Pure and Applied Biophysics. It concerns a number of spectroscopic tools, both experimental and computational, frequently encountered in biophysical research. The chapters of the book have been compiled from the lecture notes distributed among the participants at the school. The authors are specialists in their respective fields.

Uniquely integrates the theory and practice of key experimental techniques for bioscience undergraduates. Now includes drug discovery and clinical biochemistry.

Technical advancements are basic elements in our life. In biophysical studies, new applications and improvements in well-established techniques are being implemented every day. This book deals with advancements produced not only from a technical point of view, but also from new approaches that are being taken in the study of biophysical samples, such as nanotechniques or single-cell measurements. This book constitutes a privileged observatory for reviewing novel applications of biophysical techniques that can help the reader enter an area where the technology is progressing quickly and where a comprehensive explanation is not always to be found.

Starting from a comprehensive quantum mechanical description, this book introduces the optical (IR, Raman, UV/Vis, CD, fluorescence and laser spectroscopy) and magnetic resonance (1D and 2D-NMR, ESR) techniques. The book offers a timely review of the increasing interest in using spin-label ESR as an alternative structural technique for NMR or X-ray diffraction. Future aspects are treated as well, but only as an illustration of the progress of ESR in this field.

Incorporating dramatic recent advances, "Methods in Modern Biophysics" presents a fresh and timely introduction to modern biophysical methods. This innovative text surveys and explains the ten key biophysical methods, including those related to biophysical nanotechnology, scanning probe microscopy, X-ray crystallography, ion mobility spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and proteomics. Containing much information previously unavailable in tutorial form, "Methods in Modern Biophysics" employs worked examples and more than 260 illustrations to fully detail the techniques and their underlying mechanisms. The book was written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, researchers, lecturers and professors in biophysics, biochemistry, general biology and related fields.

The first systematic summary of biophysical mass spectrometrytechniques Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) have pushed the frontiersof analytical chemistry into the biophysical laboratory. As aresult, the biophysical community's acceptance of MS-based methods,used to study protein higher-order structure and dynamics, hasaccelerated the expansion of biophysical MS. Despite this growing trend, until now no single text has presentedthe full array of MS-based experimental techniques and strategiesfor biophysics. Mass Spectrometry in Biophysics expertly closesthis gap in the literature. Covering the theoretical background and technical aspects of eachmethod, this much-needed reference offers an unparalleled overviewof the current state of biophysical MS. Mass Spectrometry inBiophysics begins with a helpful discussion of general biophysicalconcepts and MS-related techniques. Subsequent chaptersaddress: * Modern spectrometric hardware * High-order structure and dynamics as probed by various MS-basedmethods * Techniques used to study structure and behavior of non-nativeprotein states that become populated under denaturingconditions * Kinetic aspects of protein folding and enzyme catalysis * MS-based methods used to extract quantitative information onprotein-ligand interactions * Relation of MS-based techniques to other experimental tools * Biomolecular properties in the gas phase Fully referenced and containing a helpful appendix on the physicsof electrospray mass spectrometry, Mass Spectrometry in Biophysicsalso offers a compelling look at the current challenges facingbiomolecular MS and the potential applications that will likelyshape its future.

The authors describe basic theoretical concepts of vibrational spectroscopy, address instrumental aspects and experimental procedures, and discuss experimental and theoretical methods for interpreting vibrational spectra. It is shown how vibrational spectroscopy provides information on general aspects of proteins, such as structure, dynamics, and protein folding. In addition, the authors use selected examples to demonstrate the application of Raman and IR spectroscopy to specific biological systems, such as metalloproteins, and photoreceptors. Throughout, references to extensive mathematical and physical aspects, involved biochemical features, and aspects of molecular biology are set in boxes for easier reading. Ideal for undergraduate as well as graduate students of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics looking for a compact introduction to this field.