Target analysis of the inactivation of biological activity by ionizing radiation was applied to several major problems including cocaine receptors in brain, various enzymes, and energy transfer between synthetic polymers. Objectives: 1) An understanding of the nature of active structures in vivo which are involved in biochemical processes, principally by means of the technique of inactivation by ionizing radiation. 2) Detailed knowledge of the molecular damage caused by ionizing radiation and of the mechanisms of the transfer of radiation energy throughout these structures. Methods: 1) General biochemical techniques including enzyme reactions, fluorescence, and gel electrophoresis. 2) Ionizing radiation, usually high energy electrons from a linear accelerator, to expose samples under carefully controlled conditions.
