Matthew Tucker

Vibrational Probe Pairs for Uncovering Structure and Dynamics within Biomolecules

2D IR spectroscopy has been utilized to directly observe of conformational dynamics of biological systems for both equilibrium and non-equilibrium pathways. Observing specific structural changes associated of active biomolecules provides insights into the molecular movements leading to their functionality. Well-positioned probe pairs provide structural information while simultaneously detecting the dynamics in the region where biological function takes place. A systematic study of a variety of 2D IR probes, including cyano- modes, ring modes, and azido- modes will be discussed, focusing on the coupling between different pairings of these vibrational reporters as well as their sensitivity to frequency fluctuations due to their local environment.