Bioinorganic Chemistry Research in India

Abstract

Nature uses metal ions and metal containing biomolecules for carrying out crucial cellular processes. They are mostly associated with the protein core, or found in cofactors such as porphyrins, or in protein-bound clusters. A few processes and reaction which involve the metals are respiration, photosynthesis, complex DNA synthesis and repair mechanisms, circulation, muscle contraction, etc. Bioinorganic chemistry deals with the study of metal ions and their importance in biological system. This article encompasses the progress and current status in the understanding of metalloenzymes and biomimetic inorganic chemistry, especially in India. The broad aspects of metals in medicine; use of metal containing nanoparticles and complexes for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes; the array of methodologies employed to understand and mimic the structure and function of metallobiomolecules; metal containing compounds in bioremediation etc. are discussed. Further, the significance and a future prospect of the bioinorganic chemistry research are elucidated briefly.