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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Evanescent Field Based Photoacoustics: Optical Property Evaluation at Surfaces
Published on: July 26, 2016
The molecular mechanism of membrane proteins probed by evanescent infrared waves
Rebecca M Nyquist1, Kenichi Ataka, Joachim Heberle
1Forschungszentrum Jülich, IBI-2: Structural Biology, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
Abstract:
The catalytic action of membrane proteins is vital to many cellular processes. Yet the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We describe here the technique of evanescent infrared difference spectroscopy as a tool to decipher the structural changes associated with the enzymatic action of membrane proteins. Functional changes as minute as the protonation state of individual amino acid side chains can be observed and linked to interactions with a ligand, agonist, effector, or redox partner.
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