Bücher der Reihe Bioelectrochemistry: Principles and Practice

The role of electric and magnetic fields in biological systems forms the focus of this second volume in the Bioelectrochemistry series. Finally, the effects of magnetic fields on living systems and of low-frequency electromagnetic fields on cell metabolism are also considered.

The following five chapters concentrate on proteins, their structure, folding and function, the electrochemistry of redox proteins and voltammetric methods.

Bioelectrochemistry of Membranes is the last volume in the book series "Bioelectrochemistry: Principles and Practice" that provides a comprehensive compilation of physicochemical aspects of different biochemical and physiological processes.

The techniques discussed are sufficient for the study of systems in the steady state, but systems that are evolving towards the steady state, or show some other time-depen dent behavior, require in addition the techniques of mathematical modelling.

Bioelectrochemistry of Membranes is the last volume in the book series "Bioelectrochemistry: Principles and Practice" that provides a comprehensive compilation of physicochemical aspects of different biochemical and physiological processes.

Bioenergetics, the topic of volume 5 of this Series, is concerned with the energetics, the kinetics, and the mechanisms of energy conversion in biological systems. The enzymes in volved in energy transduction can be considered as molecular ma chines which transform energy from one form into another, or transfer energy from one process to another.

Bioelectrochemistry represents an interdisciplinary scientific field linking together relevant areas of biology, medicine, chemistry, and physics. It is therefore not surprising that research in bioelectrochemistry requires the use of a great many experimental methods. These methods are, however, mostly from the methodological arsenal of classical natural sciences so that a description of general principles of common methods of biology, chemistry, physics, and medicine is not presented in this volume. Thus, this volume does not attempt to give an exhaustive survey of techniques used in bioelectrochemical research. The principles of several techniques and methodologies are mainly reviewed from the viewpoint of their specific application in studies of electrochemical and interfacial phenomena in various biological systems involving simple low-molecular-mass molecules of biological significance, biomacro­ molecules and their conjugates (like for instance chromatine or mem­ branes), cells and living organisms. The measurements of electrochemical impedance, voltammetric (po­ larographic) analysis, and spectroelectrochemistry represent a basis for analysis of molecules of biological significance in bulk of solution and at interfaces. These principles are reviewed in the first four chapters. The next three chapters demonstrate how these principles are utilized in voltammetric and interfacial analysis of biomacromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides, and viruses in vitro, in the development of biosensors with electrochemical transducers and in in vivo voltammetry.