Problems in Membrane Biophysics

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This research will build on recent experimental and theoretical discoveries concerning lipid monolayers at the air-water interface, discoveries based in large part on the use of epifluorescence microscopy. The objective of this research is to exploit further these microscopic techniques so as to detect with ultrahigh sensitivity physical, chemical, photochemical and biochemical events that occur at this interface. Topics of special relevance to this overall objective include the investigation of the structural properties of molecules (for example peptides) that affect the free energy along boundaries between lipid domains, molecular events that modify the local monolayer pressure and photochemical reactions involving attack of reactive oxygen species on lipids and other surface active molecules. Biochemical events of special interest include studies of lipases that selectively attack molecules at domain boundaries, and molecular events relevant to cell-cell recognition, and virus-cell recognition. Experiments will be conducted to see if the shapes, and shape transitions of lipid domains can be used to detect products derived from microlectorphoresis. From a long-term point of view these experiments may lead to new techniques for detecting, and manipulating small numbers of molecules, especially biological macromolecules.