Electron transfer in biological systems

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In recent years, the captivating world of photoactivated proteins has captured the spotlight, particularly for their role in enabling creatures to perceive Earth's magnetic field through their senses. However, the intricate details of how these proteins work their magic in different organisms continue to be a hot topic in the scientific community.

In our quest for understanding, we turn to theoretical investigations, where we draw upon Marcus-like theories to uncover the hidden mechanisms that govern the transfer of electrons. These electrons play a crucial role in the ever-changing states of photo-activated proteins, like cryptochromes, photolyases, and more. With the help of real-time electron transfer simulations, backed by robust theoretical frameworks and insights from collaborative experiments, we aim to unravel the secrets behind what makes these proteins tick. Our mission is to shed light on the fundamental processes driving the dynamic world of biological electron transfers, providing a deeper insight into their vital roles within the intricate realm of biochemistry.

Recent Publications

Fast-Track Signaling: A Non-Adiabatic Photoactivation Pathway in Plant Cryptochromes, Jorim M. Kornblueh, Ilia A. Solov'yov, ACS Central Science, 11, 1026-1028, (2025)
Revealing the Impact of g-Tensor Anisotropy on the Charge Recombination in Donor-Acceptor Dyads under High Magnetic Fields, Paul Mentzel, Luca Gerhards, Denise Koppenhöfer, Alexander Schmiedel, Marco Holzapfel, Nikita N. Lukzen, Ilia A. Solov'yov, Ulrich E. Steiner, Christoph Lambert, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 147, 23068-23078, (2025)
Quantum phenomena in biological system, Pedro H. Alvarez, Luca Gerhards, Ilia A. Solov'yov, Marcos C. de Oliveira, Frontiers in Quantum Science and Technology, 3, 1466906-(1-13), (2024)
Condensed Matter Systems Exposed to Radiation: Multiscale Theory, Simulations, and Experiment, Andrey V. Solov'yov, Alexey V. Verkhovtsev, Nigel J. Mason, Richard A. Amos, Ilko Bald, Gérard Baldacchino, Brendan Dromey,Martin Falk, Juraj Fedor, Luca Gerhards, Michael Hausmann, Georg Hildenbrand, Miloš Hrabovsk\'y, Stanislav Kadlec, Jaroslav Kočišek, Franck Lépine, Siyi Ming, Andrew Nisbet, Kate Ricketts, Leo Sala, Thomas Schlathölter, Andrew E. H. Wheatley, Ilia A. Solov'yov, Chemical Reviews, 124, 8014-8129, (2024)
Magnetic orientation in juvenile Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) could involve cryptochrome 4 as a potential magnetoreceptor, Malien Laurien, Lara Mende, Lena Luhrmann, Anders Frederiksen, Mandus Aldag, Lisa Spiecker, Catriona Clemmesen, Ilia A. Solov'yov, Gabriele Gerlach, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 21, 20240035, (2024)