CAREER: Lateral Phase Separation of Rafts and Liquid Domains in Lipid Systems

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This CAREER award supports research in the characterization of "raft" domains in lipid monolayers and bilayers. Rafts are regions in cell membranes in which particular lipids and proteins are concentrated, and can play an important role in biological functions such as signaling. This research will test a central hypothesis that the phase behavior of raft domains in lipid vesicles can be predicted from the phase behavior of the same lipids in monolayers. Specific goals of this research include using fluorescence microscopy and 2-photon microscopy to identify raft domains in giant unilamellar vesicles using lipids known to form liquid ordered domains in monolayers. In addition, the research will test whether changing symmetry from a monolayer to a bilayer alters domain formation. This will be evaluated by searching for raft domains in monolayers deposited on a surface patterned with silanes or alkane-thiols. Long-term goals include assessing whether the presence of rafts alters the activity of membrane proteins.Education efforts are focussed primarily on improving mathematical literacy of chemistry and biochemistry students. The importance of mathematics will be advertised to these students early in their college careers. A mathematics self-tutorial will be developed to clarify areas in which students need help. Resultant data will be used to guide curriculum changes. Study groups and e-mail threads will be instituted to help students learn from each other. Effort will also be directed to increasing departmental involvement of graduate students through a student-run colloquium series, and training students in the laboratory.