Binding: a polemic and rough guide

Abstract

Binding is at the center of all of biology with cellular events being mediated by a huge array of highly orchestrated, coupled binding interactions. In order to approach a detailed understanding of the molecular forces that drive these interactions, it is essential to obtain thermodynamic information. A huge body of work already exists that describes the concepts and mathematical tools that are at the foundation of current thermodynamic techniques. The purpose of this chapter is to aid the reader in understanding how to apply the available technologies in extracting meaningful thermodynamic information for binding systems.