
Radical reactions
Yvain Nicolet
Institut de Biologie Structurale
Published January 31, 2023
The periodic table may be an icon of chemistry, but a cluster of elements at its center gives biology some essential pop and sparkle. Yvain Nicolet at the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) in Grenoble, France, wants to learn exactly how those transition metals in the middle of the table put more pizzazz in proteins.
About one-third of proteins contain transition metals, such as cobalt, copper, molybdenum, or iron. The Nicolet lab mainly studies metalloproteins that contain iron-sulfur clusters but also scrutinizes enzymes that make these clusters. "Transition metals are often key components of the proteins …
Find out More »