Redox & Radical Chemical Biology
Image courtesy: Uladzimir Barayeu
Free radical reactions occur constantly in living systems and are tightly controlled. Biomolecules such as proteins and lipids are modified by radicals. We investigate how collagen undergoes free radical reactions when stretched, how lipid peroxidation leads to cell death (ferroptosis), and how poly-sulfur species control the cellular landscape of free radical reactions. Our methods encompass electron paramagnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy analysis along with cellular and liposomal model systems. The fundamental understanding of free radical processes in living systems will enable new approaches to control them in pathological conditions when they go out of balance.