The Privilege of Looking at the Molecular Details of Biochemical Reactions

The introducing the Laser-Induced-Proton-Pulse (1979) allowed to monitor, at real time, the response of multi equilibria systems to pulse protonation. The reaction was initiated by the excitation of “photo acid” that releases a proton in the sub-ns time-scale, offsetting all acid base equilibria. This method was used to study the interaction of the protons with water, dyes, membranes, and proteins. The complexity of the systems increased from the most basic properties of dynamics up to mapping the structure of proton collecting antenna on protein surfaces, monitoring the chemical activity of water inside proteins, studying the electro-neutral mechanism of proton ion exchange across bio-membranes and charting the trajectories of ions inside ionic channels. The analysis of these systems led to deeper understanding of the physical chemical properties of micro-environments like active sites and ionic channels, as well as a tool for advanced kinetic analysis of multi-equilibria systems.