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Friday, 29 July 2011

Understanding iron biochemistry in living organisms
Dr Lucia Gutierrez
School of Physics, The University of Western Australia

Iron is a key element in aerobic metabolism, photosynthesis, respiration and global carbon and nitrogen fixation processes.

Given the centrality of such basic metabolic pathways to life, it is unsurprising that human disease is commonly linked to fundamental problems in iron metabolism. In several diseases, nanometric iron oxides and oxyhydroxides can be found in the tissues and one of the challenges is to monitor and understand the role of these deposits in the progression of the different pathologies.


It is also of special interest to study iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles of exogenous origin in living systems. These particles are commonly used as MRI contrast agents, and a big effort is underway to use similar particles as magnetic carriers for drug delivery or hyperthermia agents for cancer treatment.

In this seminar, examples of iron speciation in biological systems will be described paying special attention to those species in which iron is found forming part of nanometric oxides & oxyhydroxides, from biogenic (ferritin, haemosiderin) and non-biogenic (magnetic nano-particles)origin.

Thursday August 11 @ 4pm CMCA Seminar Room
ALL welcome
Refreshments provided

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Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis