Lectures and seminars What is life?-lecture: "Water and Water in Cells and in Biological Systems"

Lars Pettersson works in a world-leading research group on water at the Stockholm University Dept of Physics. They study the chemical bonds and reactions on surface and interfaces through X-ray and electron spectroscopy, probing the hydrogen bonding environment in water at different conditions and heterogenous catalysis. They have shown fluctuations of liquid water between high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) liquid. A coexistence between the two liquid phases is hypothesized at high pressure and low temperature in the so-called “No-man’s land”. Since these fluctuations are observed up to ambient conditions we may live in what could be called the “funnel of Life”. In his lecture he will discuss the recent insights about water in relation to their significance for biological systems.