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Research demonstrates the use of X-ray spectroscopy to study thermally-induced reactions AIP Scilight 2019 Light-driven reactions are only a subset of chemical and biochemical processes. An extension of time-resolved spectroscopic methods to thermally driven reactions would include a much larger variety of such processes. In a new paper, Cannelli et al. demonstrate the first use of a time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy probe in a temperature jump experiment to observe structural changes over the course of a chemical reaction. Find out more

Unraveling the initial molecular events of respiration EPFL NEWS - 2020 Respiration is a fundamental process of all living things, allowing them to produce energy, stay healthy, and survive. In cells, respiration involves what are known as “respiratory proteins”, e.g. hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in muscles. Physicists from Switzerland, Japan and Germany have unveiled the mechanism by which the first event of respiration takes place in heme proteins. Find out more

A universal structural deformation in all heme proteins EPFL NEWS - 2020 The structure-function relationship is at the heart of biology: specific structural changes in proteins are usually associated with specific functions. This is particularly the case with hemoproteins, which have a wide range of functions, such as oxygen fixation and transport, and neurotransmission. Find out more

Charge mobility in perovskites: a new insight EPFL NEWS - 2021 Understanding charge mobility of the very popular lead-halide perovskite materials is crucial for their very promising photovoltaic applications. Using Time-Resolved X-ray spectroscopy, the structural deformations affecting the charge mobility, which plays a central role in solar energy conversion, have been identified and quantified with atomic precision – for the first time. Find out more