It is natural to study electron transfer reactions with electrochemical techniques. However, when it comes to biological redox reactions, in most cases the distance between the site of the electron transfer and an electrode is too long to allow efficient electron transfer rates. Our studies are focused on understanding the processes of electron transfer between the electrodes and biological molecules, such as redox proteins, organelles, membranes, and whole cells. To optimize these processes we need, for example, to know how to arrange/orient the biomolecules on the electrode surface in a most efficient way. We also need to obtain thermodynamic and kinetic information on biological electron transfer reactions. The knowledge gathered in the basic science part of the project can be transfer to applications such as design of new biosensors and biofuel cells.

Principal investigator's involved in these projects: Lo Gorton.