Influence of pump laser fluence on ultrafast myoglobin structural dynamics. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355794/)

These scientists used a special type of laser called an X-ray free-electron laser to study what happens to molecules when they are hit with intense bursts of light. They were interested in understanding how the molecules change on a very fast timescale, from a few quadrillionths of a second to a few thousandths of a second.

In their study, the scientists focused on a protein called carboxymyoglobin and looked at how it reacts when exposed to different amounts of laser light. They found that the protein's behavior changed depending on the strength of the laser light. By analyzing the changes in the protein's structure and the movements of its atoms, the scientists were able to confirm that it is important to use the right amount of laser energy to accurately study these reactions.

This research is just the beginning of a new way to look at how molecules react to light, and it will help scientists better understand the processes that happen in living organisms at the molecular level.

Barends TRM., Gorel A., Bhattacharyya S., Schiro G., Bacellar C., Cirelli C., Colletier JP., Foucar L., Grunbein ML., Hartmann E., Hilpert M., Holton JM., Johnson PJM., Kloos M., Knopp G., Marekha B., Nass K., Nass Kovacs G., Ozerov D., Stricker M., Weik M., Doak RB., Shoeman RL., Milne CJ., Huix-Rotllant M., Cammarata M., Schlichting I. Influence of pump laser fluence on ultrafast myoglobin structural dynamics. Nature. 2024 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07032-9.