Mössbauer Spectroscopy as a Valuable Analysis Technique in Biomedical Research

Abstract

Mössbauer spectroscopy is an effective technique used to examine the iron atom electronic environments in both biomolecular molecules and whole animal studies. Because of its sensitivity to nuclear hyperfine interactions, this technique yields incredibly accurate data regarding the electronic and magnetic states of nuclei, chemical bonds, and the local electronic environment structure around iron atoms. This review demonstrates how Mössbauer spectroscopy contributes to biomedical sciences. The use of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the fields of general biology is discussed, as well as studies that included bacterial analyses, studies related to protein materials, and pharmaceutical studies. In addition, although beyond the scope of this review, the use of Mössbauer spectroscopy to study model compounds to aid in understanding the iron proteins is briefly referred to.