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Published 2012 | Published
Journal Article Open

Low-energy electron collisions with biomolecules

Abstract

We report recent progress in applying the Schwinger multichannel computational method to the interactions of slow electrons with biomolecules. Calculations on constituents of DNA, including nucleobases, phosphate esters, and models of the backbone sugar, have provided insight into the nature of the low-energy shape resonances, and thereby into possible sites and mechanisms for electron attachment that may lead to strand-breaking. At the same time, more approximate calculations on larger assemblies such as nucleosides and deoxyadenosine monophosphate indicate how the resonance properties of the subunits will or will not persist in DNA itself. We are pursuing a similar strategy for another major class of biomolecules, the proteins, by beginning with fixed-nuclei studies of the constituent amino acids; here we present preliminary results for the simplest amino acid, glycine. We also describe efforts directed at an improved understanding electron collisions with alcohols, which, in addition to basic scientific interest, may prove useful in the modeling of ignition and combustion within biofuel-powered engines.

Additional Information

© 2012 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. This work was supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, US Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER14814, and in part by the US National Science Foundation under Grants No. 0653396 and 0968873. Calculations employed the Supercomputing and Visualization Facility at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We warmly acknowledge the contributions of theoretical and experimental collaborators to various aspects of the work reported here. In particular, work on the alcohols has been carried out within a Brazil–US joint project including Profs M H F Bettega, M A Khakoo, M A P Lima, M C A Lopes, and M T do N Varella, along with their respective research groups, while portions of the DNA-related work were carried out jointly with Profs M J Brunger, S J Buckman, and S d'A Sanchez, and their associates.

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