The Solution Physics of F-Actin and Filamentous Bacteriophages

这个个人研究奖是给印第安纳州大学的一位年轻教授的，他的研究重点是丝状生物聚合物的分子间相互作用，它们组装成不同的物理状态，以及状态之间的转换。该计划的主要部分将使用蛋白质丝F-肌动蛋白，它在肌肉和非肌肉细胞中都很丰富，对细胞运动和运动至关重要。也将使用丝状病毒fd、Ml 3和pfl作为替代生物聚合物进行一部分实验，以与F-肌动蛋白的物理性质进行比较。总的目标是通过实验来定义这些生物聚合物溶液中的一些自组织状态和相变。在这个建议中获得的知识是直接相关的生物现象，如网络和纤维肌动蛋白在许多细胞类型的束形成。阐明控制各种物理状态形成的分子相互作用将提供预测和操纵它们之间的转变的手段，因此在材料科学和生物医学工程中具有潜在的应用。参与的研究生将接受将物理概念应用于复杂生物材料的宝贵培训，从而获得必要的实践技能，以便在学术机构和生物技术行业不断增长的就业市场中取得成功，包括生物工程和医学研究。%这个个人研究者奖授予印第安纳州大学的一位年轻教授，他的一个项目旨在研究蛋白质细丝和丝状病毒的物理性质，这些都是常见的和相对简单的生物实体。这项研究的主要部分集中在一种丰富的细胞蛋白肌动蛋白上，这种蛋白可以很容易地从肌肉组织中纯化出来，但它也是非肌肉细胞中的关键成分。事实上，肌动蛋白动态自组装成丝状和交联形式是细胞形状变化和迁移的最重要因素。我们的目标是通过实验确定导致这种必需的细胞蛋白质可变和可逆组装的物理相互作用。肌动蛋白丝的一些聚合特性也将与丝状噬菌体进行比较，丝状噬菌体是最原始的自我复制病毒。这两种类型的生物聚合物具有某些共同的物理特性，更好地了解这些简单的系统将有助于我们预测和操纵它们的行为，首先是在试管中，然后可能是在细胞和生理条件下。参与的学生将获得将物理概念应用于生物材料的宝贵培训，从而获得必要的实践技能，以便在学术机构和生物技术行业的生物工程和医学研究领域不断增长的就业市场中取得成功。***

This individual investigator award is to a young professor at Indiana University for research that focuses on the intermolecular interactions of filamentous biopolymers, their assembly into distinct physical states, and transitions between the states. The major part of the program will use the protein filament F-actin, which is abundant in both muscle and non-muscle cells and is essential for cell motility and locomotion. A fraction of experiments will also be performed using filamentous viruses fd, Ml3 and pfl, as alternative biopolymers to compare with the physical properties of F-actin. The overall goal is to define experimentally a number of self-organized states and phase transitions in solutions of these biopolymers. The knowledge obtained in this proposal is directly relevant to biological phenomena such as the network and bundle formation of F-actin in many cell types. Elucidating the molecular interactions that govern the formation of various physical states will provide a means to predict and manipulate transitions among them, and therefore have potential applications for materials science and biomedical engineering. Participating graduate students will receive valuable training in applying physics concepts to complex biomaterials, and consequently acquire practical skills necessary to potentially succeed in a growing job market involving bioengineering and medically oriented research in both academic institutions and the biotechnology industry. %%%This individual investigator award is to a young professor at Indiana University for a project that aims to study physical properties of protein filaments and filamentous viruses, which are common and relatively simple biological entities. The major part of the study focuses on an abundant cellular protein actin that can be readily purified from muscle tissues, but it is also a crucial component in non-muscle cells. In fact, the dynamic self-assembly of actin into filamentous and crosslinked forms is the most important factor for cellular shape change and migration. Our goal is to experimentally define the physical interactions that cause variable and reversible assembly of this essential cellular protein. Some of the polymeric properties of actin filaments will also be compared with filamentous bacteriophages, which are the most primitive self-replicating viruses. Both types of biopolymers have certain physical properties in common, and a better understanding of these simple systems shall help us to predict and manipulate their behavior, first in test tubes and then potentially in cellular and physiological conditions. Participating students will receive valuable training in applying physics concepts to biomaterials, and consequently acquire practical skills necessary to potentially succeed in a growing job market involving bioengineering and medical research in both academic institutions and the biotechnology industry. ***