Modeling the Chemistry of the Nitrite and Sulfite Reductases

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Patrick J. Farmer of the Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program of the Chemistry Division, National Science Foundation, for his work on modeling the chemistry of heme-based nitrite and sulfite reductases. The various enzymes perform integral steps in the biochemical cycling of nitrogen and sulfur, which are of importance in the global denitrification of soil fertilizers and in the removal of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, which are pollutants from industrial waste-waters. The studies will have implications for the global effects of modern agriculture, based on understanding the chemical basis for the generation of non-carbon greenhouse gases. The studies will provide a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students (some are Asian, Hispanic or from Eastern European countries) with invaluable experience that will be relevant to the American economy, and will form the training ground for the next generation of scientists.