Application of Neutron and X-ray Scattering in Biophysics and Biomaterials Science
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Physics General".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 65
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since the identification of the DNA structure via X-ray diffraction about 70 years ago by Crick, Wilkins, Watson, and Franklin, X-ray and neutron scattering techniques have proven to be very powerful tools in the study of biological structures. X-rays and neutrons provide sets of information that are similar in many ways but, at the same time, complementary, thanks to the radiations’ different mechanisms of interaction with matter. This is largely due to the great sensitivity of neutrons to hydrogen and the fact that they possess a magnetic moment. Currently, certain X-ray techniques are available in many laboratories, but even more of them, and those with the best performance, can be found at large synchrotron radiation facilities. At the same time, dedicated nuclear reactors and spallation sources provide neutron beams that can be exploited in a plethora of research fields, including bioscience. Techniques include small-angle scattering, crystal and powder diffraction, reflectometry, inelastic scattering, imaging, and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and, more recently, techniques based on X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), usually used in synergy with other methods, such as advanced optical and electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. These have led to the acquisition of a huge amount of knowledge on both the structure and the functionality of many biological macromolecules, such as membranes, lipids, and proteins. This enables us to have an increasingly better understanding of these molecules’ role in many diseases, as well as to establish new procedures for the production and improvement of biomaterials, drugs, and drug delivery systems.
Inspired by these topics and your recognized expertise in the field of X-ray/neutron scattering applications in bioscience, we would like to invite you to contribute an original research or review article to this Special Issue.
Dr. Fabrizio Fiori
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- neutron
- X-ray
- biophysics
- biomaterials
