Using corkscrew lasers to separate chiral molecules
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 - 08:50
in Biology & Nature
Many of the molecular building blocks of life have two versions that are mirror images of one another, known as enantiomers. Although seemingly identical, the two enantiomers can have completely different chemical behaviour—a fact that has major implications in our day-to-day lives. For example, while one version of the organic compound carvone smells like spearmint, the mirror form smells like caraway seed. In pharmacology and drug design it can be essential to be able to distinguish between the two enantiomers and separate them if necessary, since the consequences can be life-changing. For instance, while one enantiomer of beta blockers selectively targets the heart, the other acts only on the cell membranes of the eye.