Applications of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy to Life Science

Abstract

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) is a novel method that can provide molecular-level information about complex biological and macromolecular structure in a manner which is different, but complementary, to conventional medical and biochemical research methodology. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and Doppler broadening energy spectroscopy (DBES), coupled with a slow positron beam have been extensively applied to the life science research recently. These techniques provide new information about the atomic and molecular level free-volume and void sizes, and their distributions 0.1 nm to a few nm, molecular bonding, structures at depth-layers, and phase transitions. This paper is to review recent research on positron annihilation spectroscopy applied to the area of life science and also focus on current bioscience-related work in the positron group at the University of MissouriKansas City (UMKC).