Revealing the True Potential of Molybdenum Enzymes Through Electrochemistry

This project aims to quantify the ability of the five molybdenum (Mo) enzymes found collectively in plants and animals to catalyse the reduction of nitrite to the important signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO). Electrochemical methods will provide the first true comparison of nitrite reduction reactivity. The significance of this research is that no study has ever looked at Mo enzyme catalysed nitrite reduction with the same methodology to enable a genuine comparison of catalytic activity. Expected outcomes of this project will be a unifying and quantitative assessment of these essential Mo enzymes as alternative nitrite reduction catalysts with benefits being a greater focus on proteins that are involved in NO production and signalling.