Molecular dynamics simulations and infrared spectroscopy were used to determine the hydrogen bond patterns of glycerol and its mixtures with water. The ability of glycerol/water mixtures to inhibit ice crystallization is linked to the concentration of glycerol and the hydrogen bonding patterns formed by these solutions. At low glycerol concentrations, sufficient amounts of bulk-like water exist, and at low temperature, these solutions demonstrate crystallization. As the glycerol concentration is increased, the bulk-like water pool is eventually depleted. Water in the first hydration shell becomes concentrated around the polar groups of glycerol, and the alkyl groups of glycerol self-associate. Glycerol-glycerol hydrogen bonds become the dominant interaction in the first hydration shell, and the percolation nature of the water network is disturbed. At glycerol concentrations beyond this point, glycerol/water mixtures remain glassy at low temperatures and the glycerol-water hydrogen bond favors a more linear arrangement. High glycerol concentration mixtures mimic the strong hydrogen bonding pattern seen in ice, yet crystallization does not occur. Hydrogen bond patterns are discussed in terms of hydrogen bond angle distributions and average hydrogen bond number. Shift in infrared frequency of related stretch and bend modes is also reviewed.

The interactions of biological macromolecules with water are fundamental to their structure, dynamics and function. Historically, characterization of the location and residence times of hydration waters of proteins in solution has been quite difficult. Confinement within the nanoscale interior of a reverse micelle slows water dynamics, allowing detection of global protein-water interactions using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Complications that normally arise from hydrogen exchange and long-range dipolar coupling are overcome by the nature of the reverse micelle medium. Characterization of the hydration of ubiquitin demonstrates that encapsulation within a reverse micelle allows detection of dozens of hydration waters. Comparison of nuclear Overhauser effects obtained in the laboratory and rotating frames indicate a considerable range of hydration water dynamics is present on the protein surface. In addition, an unprecedented clustering of different hydration dynamic classes of sites is evident.

The cooperative nature of protein substructure and internal motion is a critical aspect of their functional competence about which little is known experimentally. NMR relaxation is used here to monitor the effects of high-pressure on fast internal motion in the protein ubiquitin. In contrast to the main chain, the motions of the methyl-bearing side chains have a large and variable pressure dependence. Within the core, this pressure sensitivity correlates with the magnitude of motion at ambient pressure. Spatial clustering of the dynamic response to applied hydrostatic pressure is also seen indicating localized cooperativity of motion on the sub-nanosecond time scale and suggesting regions of variable compressibility. These and other features indicate that the native ensemble contains a significant fraction of members with characteristics ascribed to the recently postulated “dry molten globule.” The accompanying variable side chain conformational entropy helps complete our view of the thermodynamic architecture underlying protein stability, folding and function.