Bioinorganic Chemistry is a specialized field that spans the chemistry of metal-containing molecules within biological systems. This field is concerned with the control and use of metal ions and metal folding of biomolecules. Although Bioinorganic Chemistry includes the study of artificially introduced metals (e.g. medicinally), many natural occuring biological processes (such as respiration) depend upon molecules containing inorganic elements, such as Metalloproteins, and these natural processes are also studied by Bioinorganic Chemistry.

As a mix of biochemistry and inorganic chemistry, it is important in realizing the implications of electron-transfer proteins, substrate bindings and activation, atom and group transfer chemistry as well as metal properties in biological chemistry.

Bioinorganic chemistry has developed from the continuing research in inorganic chemistry and its important associations in biological chemistry. Researchers in this field include Prof. Stephen Lippard of MIT, Prof. Richard Schrock of MIT, and Prof. Richard Holm of Harvard University.

External links

• Prof. Stephen Lippard's MIT home page
• The Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC)'s home page

References

• Stephen J. Lippard, Jeremy M. Berg, Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry, University Science Books, 1994, ISBN 0-935-70272-5
• Rosette M. Roat-Malone, Bioinorganic Chemistry : A Short Course, Wiley-Interscience, 2002, ISBN 0-471-15976-X