Thermomechanical and Interfacial Behavior of Concentration Protein Solutions

研究摘要：本研究的目的是开发一种 对热力学和力学的更基本的理解 浓缩的蛋白质溶液，包括蛋白质凝胶， 在分子间和分子内相互作用 都很重要 实验研究，使用牛血清白蛋白 作为一个模型系统，将涉及渗透压测量 和渗透平衡期间的示踪溶质分配。 在 这些数据可用于评估解决方案 非理想性和压缩压力，一个参数中使用的 热力学模型来表征两个内部的贡献， 和分子内相互作用。 溶液的理论分析 非理想性将涉及聚合物晶格模型的应用， 例如，Flory-Huggins理论，浓缩蛋白质溶液。 分子间的吸引和排斥将使用 McMillan-Mayer溶液理论 潜在影响：当前研究的结果，以及 作为未来调查的结果，将在 分析了各种蛋白质分离过程， 分子间和分子内的相互作用 重要的，例如，蛋白质结晶和沉淀。 热力学数据和模型也将提供洞察力 液-液萃取蛋白质 分居 这项研究的结果也可以用于 分析选择性蛋白过滤，膜的使用 超滤以分离不同分子量的蛋白质 重量根据尺寸。

Research Summary: The objective of this research is to develop a more fundamental understanding of the thermodynamic and mechanical properties of concentrated protein solutions, including protein gels, under conditions where both inter- and intra-molecular interactions are important. Experimental studies, employing bovine serum albumin as a model system, will involve both osmotic pressure measurements and tracer solute partitioning during osmotic equilibrium. In combination, these data can be used to evaluate solution non-idealities and the compressive pressure, a parameter used in the thermodynamic model to characterize the contribution of both inter- and intra-molecular interactions. Theoretical analyses of solution non-idealities will involve application of polymer lattice models, for example, Flory-Huggins theory, to the concentrated protein solutions. Inter-molecular attractions and repulsions will be modelled using McMillan-Mayer solution theory. Potential Impact: The results from the current study, as well as those from future investigations, will have applications in the analysis of a variety of protein separation processes in which inter- and intra-molecular interactions are thought to be important, e.g., protein crystallization and precipitation. The thermodynamic data and models will also provide insight into the use of liquid-liquid extraction for protein separations. The results from this study can also be used to analyze selective protein filtration, the use of membrane ultrafiltration to separate proteins of differing molecular weight on the basis of size.