Research Initiation Awards: Surface-Induced Conformational Changes in Protein Films

这个项目将试图把地表的速度或范围- 诱导吸附蛋白质的构象变化， 平衡吸附质量的原位椭圆偏振法。 平衡 α-乳白蛋白、β-乳球蛋白和κ-酪蛋白的等温线 将对锗进行评估。 然后，时间对 这些蛋白质经历的构象变化将是 通过连续监测膜厚度来定量， 椭圆偏振法 现在众所周知的是，高分子量蛋白质可以被 由于与表面的相互作用而受损。 损害程度 似乎是时间依赖的。 据推测，这种损害 当蛋白质展开时， 与它们被吸引的表面区域接触。 这 这一现象对生物医学技术和下游都很重要。 生物技术的加工。 如果蛋白质在相互作用时展开 随着地表的逐渐强烈，似乎有理由期待 被吸附蛋白质膜的表观厚度随着 时间和损坏的数量与电影相关 厚 这个项目将测试这一假设，并导致一个 更好地了解这一现象及其动态。

This project will attempt to relate the rate or extent of surface- induced conformational changes in adsorbed proteins to their equilibrium adsorbed mass by in situ ellipsometry. Equilibrium isotherms of alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and kappa-casein on germanium will be evaluated. Then, the influence of time on conformational changes experienced by these proteins will be quantified by continuously monitoring the film thickness by ellipsometry. It is now well known that high-molecular weight proteins can be damaged by their interactions with surfaces. The extent of damage seems to be time-dependent. It is hypothesized that this damage occurs as the protein unfolds to bring more of its surface into contact with regions of the surface to which they are attracted. This phenomenon is important to both biomedical technology and downstream processing in biotechnology. If the protein unfolds as it interacts progressively strongly with the surface, it seems reasonable to expect the apparent thickness of a film of adsorbed protein to decrease with time and for the amount of damage to correlate with the film thickness. This project will test that hypothesis and lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon and its dynamics.