Nanometre length distances measured by EPR spectroscopy

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has always been a useful tool for investigating the structure of materials, including biological systems such as proteins. However, over the last 15 years techniques have emerged for the precise measurement of nanometre-scale distances and this sparked a renaissance in the development and application of EPR. This is because these nanometre distances can be measured for materials which cannot be accurately studied by other techniques (for example NMR or X-ray crystallography for proteins). This presentation will introduce the principles behind the technique and present examples of applications for the study of nanowires and protein-protein complexes.