Unraveling the Dynamics of Biological Systems through Neutron Scattering

Understanding hierarchical and complex dynamics in biological systems requires multiscale approaches in space and time. After decades of development, neutron scattering has emerged as a powerful technique for studying biological dynamics, offering unique advantages, including exceptional hydrogen sensitivity, minimal radiation damage, and label-free detection. This Review systematically examines how neutron scattering provides mechanistic insights into hierarchical dynamics across different biological systems. We first introduce fundamental principles and instrumentation for neutron scattering studies of dynamics, emphasizing their specific applicability to different dynamic regimes. Afterwards, we present comprehensive applications ranging from proteins and membranes to complex biological systems, revealing the underlying connections between structures, dynamics, and functions. The detailed discussion of these example applications is organized according to different types of biological dynamics with their corresponding spectrometers. We also introduce some complementary approaches utilizing different techniques to provide a more comprehensive understanding of dynamics in biological systems, as well as the ongoing methodological advancements regarding neutron scattering and some additional applications. © 2025 The Authors. Co-published by ShanghaiTech University and American Chemical Society