With infrared difference spectroscopy, researchers follow
dynamic processes in proteins. For a long time, these processes could only be
observed in light-activated proteins, but not in proteins that are activated by
binding with ligands – but this is usually how many illness relevant molecules
are activated. To analyze the dynamics of such proteins, researchers have to
fasten them to the measurement surface and pour a pharmacological-substance
over them; the proteins can then interact with and be activated by this
substance.