Yngve Ohrn and Erik Deumens of the University of Florida are supported by an award from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry program within the Division of Chemistry for research into the mechanism of material damage, particularly in biological materials, caused by energetic radiation of charged particles such as electrons, protons, and alpha particles. They are modifying their original technique known as Electron Nuclear Dynamics, or END, to allow the study of processes involving the attack of free electrons on large molecules. The damage by primary projectiles to cellular material is of significance for the formation of intermediate species, such as radicals, ions, and electrons, that can, via a number of mechanisms be involved in reactive processes to seriously damage DNA and other biomolecules. The work is, thus, having a broader impact on our understanding of the effects of ionizing radiation on living systems.
