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Toward Extreme Biophysics: Deciphering the Infrared Response of Biomolecular Solutions at High Pressures
Author(s) -
Imoto Sho,
Kibies Patrick,
Rosin Christopher,
Winter Roland,
Kast Stefan M.,
Marx Dominik
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201602757
Subject(s) - biomolecule , biophysical chemistry , solvation , chemistry , osmolyte , chemical physics , hydrogen bond , molecule , infrared spectroscopy , biophysics , nanotechnology , astrobiology , materials science , biochemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Biophysics under extreme conditions is the fundamental platform for scrutinizing life in unusual habitats, such as those in the deep sea or continental subsurfaces, but also for putative extraterrestrial organisms. Therefore, an important thermodynamic variable to explore is pressure. It is shown that the combination of infrared spectroscopy with simulation is an exquisite approach for unraveling the intricate pressure response of the solvation pattern of TMAO in water, which is expected to be transferable to biomolecules in their native solvent. Pressure‐enhanced hydrogen bonding was found for TMAO in water. TMAO is a molecule known to stabilize proteins against pressure‐induced denaturation in deep‐sea organisms.