The goal of this proposal is to characterize the molecular mechanisms associated to the a Mn2(II,II) core of the SoxB protein. This protein plays a central role in the sulfur oxidizing catalytic process used by bacteria to perform aerobic respiration or CO2 fixation. This will be achieved by using the integrated capability of EMSL to perform leading-edge cryogenic NMR and EPR spectroscopy measurements in combination with state-of-the-art correlated electronic structure calculations. To date, the mechanism for the action of the SoxB protein remains elusive. The proposed capability has the power to resolve the electronic structure of the Mn2(II,II) core of this protein and the mechanism for the action of this protein in the sulfur oxidizing catalytic process. The findings of this study will greatly impact our understanding of the elemental cycle of sulfur, but also the design of new bio-technologies related to sulfur-decontamination.
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
A DOE Office of Science User Facility
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