CAREER: Chiral Biopolymer Liquid Crystals

本职业项目是手性生物聚合物液晶的凝聚态物理实验研究。如果一个分子不能叠加在它的镜像上，那么它就是手性的。几乎所有生物合成的分子都是手性的，通常通过形成螺旋结构来表达它们的手性，蛋白质、DNA和许多多糖中的α-螺旋就是典型的代表。尽管自然界中有大量的手性例子，但关于手性相互作用的重要细节仍然知之甚少。在这个综合性的研究和教育项目中，将研究手性的自组装。通过渗透应力法、X射线衍射法和偏光显微镜测量手性中间相的状态方程，建立了手性中间相的结构和热力学与其分子水平手性之间的联系。将要研究的生物分子体系包括DNA、2‘-脱氧鸟苷-5’-单磷酸和α-螺旋多肽。该项目的结果可能导致高效手性分离技术的发展，这是制药工业生产手性纯药物所急需的。这类药物通常更安全、更有效。该项目的教育部分将在五所大学地区发起一项合作的生物物理学努力。参与该项目的学生将接受在物理和生物界面的多学科技术的优秀培训。这个职业项目是手性生物聚合物液晶的实验凝聚态物理研究。如果一个分子不能在其镜像上叠加，那么它就是手性的。几乎所有生物合成的分子都是手性的，通常通过形成螺旋结构来表达它们的手性，蛋白质、DNA和许多多糖中的α-螺旋就是典型的代表。具有讽刺意味的是，尽管自然界中有大量的手性例子，但手性相互作用的重要细节仍然知之甚少。在这个综合性的研究和教育项目中，将直接测量手性生物聚合物之间的相互作用。手性力的知识将使我们能够预测手性分子如何组装成更复杂、更高水平的结构。将要研究的生物分子系统包括DNA、四螺旋DNA和螺旋多肽。这一项目的结果将导致新的高效手性分离技术的发展，这是制药工业生产对映体纯药物非常需要的技术。这类药物通常更安全、更有效。该项目的教育部分将在五所大学地区发起一项合作的生物物理学努力。参与该项目的学生将接受物理和生物相结合的多学科技术方面的出色培训。

This CAREER project is an experimental condensed matter physics investigation of chiral biopolymer liquid crystals. A molecule is chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. Nearly all molecules synthesized by living organisms are chiral, often expressing their chirality by forming helical structures, as typified by the alpha-helix in proteins, DNA, and many polysaccharides. Despite the vast number of examples of chirality in nature, important details of chiral interactions are still poorly understood. In this integrated research and educational project the self-assembly of chiral will be studied. A connection between structure and thermodynamics of chiral mesophases and their molecular-level chirality will be made by measuring their equation of state using the osmotic stress method, x-ray diffraction and polarizing microscopy. Biomolecular systems that will be studied include DNA, 2'-deoxyguaniosine-5'monophosphate, and alpha-helical polypeptides. Results from this project could lead to the development of efficient chiral separation techniques which are much needed in the pharmaceutical industry to produce enatiomerically pure drugs. Such drugs are often safer and more potent. The educational part of this project will initiate a collaborative biophysics effort in the Five College area. Students participating in the project will receive excellent training in multidisciplinary techniques at the interface of physics and biology.This CAREER project is an experimental condensed matter physics investigation of chiral biopolymer liquid crystals. A molecule is chiral if it is not superimposable on its mirror image. Nearly all molecules synthesized by living organisms are chiral, often expressing their chirality by forming helical structures, as typified by the alpha-helix in proteins, DNA, and many polysaccharides. Ironically, despite the vast number of examples of chirality in nature, important details of chiral interactions are still poorly understood. In this integrated research and educational project the interactions between chiral biopolymers will be measured directly. Knowledge of chiral forces will allow us to predict how chiral molecules assemble into more complex, higher level structures. Biomolecular systems that will be studied include DNA, quadruple-helical DNA, and helical polypeptides. Results from this project should lead to the development of new and efficient chiral separation techniques which are much needed in the pharmaceutical industry to produce enantiomerically pure drugs. Such drugs are often safer and more potent. The educational part of this project will initiate a collaborative biophysics effort in the Five College area. Students participating in the project will receive excellent training in multidisciplinary techniques at the interface of physics and biology.