Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Physical Chemistry of Biological Systems

Further sessions will consider folding funnels, intrinsically disordered proteins, and the thermodynamics of conformational equilibria probed by calorimetry and single-molecule force spectroscopy. Presentations may address enzyme electrostatics, proton-coupled electron transfer, quantum effects in hydrogen tunnelling, and kinetic isotope effects in biological catalysis. Discussion will extend to lipid bilayer mechanics, membrane curvature, ion channel selectivity, and the energetics of vesicle fusion and fission. The physical chemistry of macromolecular crowding, phase separation in biomolecular condensates, and ligand-binding equilibria under cellular ionic conditions will also be examined. Spectroscopic, computational, and microfluidic approaches to living systems will be presented together, with emphasis on connecting molecular parameters to measurable physiological behaviour. Applications may include rational protein engineering, biosensor development, formulation of biologics, cryopreservation, and the design of peptide- and nucleic-acid-based therapeutics with predictable stability and activity.