[Chiral safety of the biosphere as a biophysical problem].

The biosphere with its inherent chiral asymmetry fixed in the process of biological evolution at the level of L-amino acids and D-hydrocarbons and some other biologically active compounds of biogenic origin is under strong pressure of chiral substances produced by chemical, pharmaceutical, and other branches of industry and agriculture. Effective use of enantiomers is accompanied by toxic and even mutagenic effects of their mirror-image enantiomorphs. Only small amounts of products are tested for chiral purity; there is no system of global biosphere monitoring as well as no common standards of permissible concenrations. The investigation of the molecular basis of chiral stereospecificity of enzymes and cell receptors is of great interest from the point of view of fundamental biophysics. On the other hand, the development of chiral-selective sensors for environmental monitoring is important from the viewpoint of applied biophysics.