Electrical control of biological reactions

In this activity we study how to use direct or redox-mediated electrochemistry to control biological reactions, even at single biomolecule level.
We are interested in all those molecules and reactions that can be affected electrically: from electron transfer reactions in redox proteins and co-factors, to specific recognition reactions such as antigen-antibody reactions, to the modulation of the kinetics of enzymatic reactions, to the modulation of the conformation of receptors by means of the control on the oxidation state of intramolecular disulfide bonds, to the modulation to the gene expression level taking advantage of redox mediators and electrochemistry.
The experimental techniques we use include electrochemical STM and AFM, solid electrode electrochemistry, spectrophotoelectrochemistry, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. From a computational standpoint ,we take advantage of simulated protein dynamics performed at solid-liquid interface.

Members:
Paolo Facci (Principal investigator)