Deconvolution;  Secondary structure analyses

The far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra of proteins contain information about the electrostatic and magnetic environment of the chromophores and may be analyzed to give a close approximation of the content of secondary structure types. Different protein secondary structure types produce characteristic spectral shapes and, due to the additive nature of the spectra, the shapes contribute to the total spectrum in the proportions that their secondary structures are found within the sample. Typically, radiation of wavelengths 240–190 nm and shorter are used for this type of analysis. More electronic transitions are included by collecting data at shorter wavelengths, so more information is available.