Electrochemical Measurements at Liposomes and Lipid Nanotubes

宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Andrew Ewing教授在分析和表面化学项目的支持下，制造了单层脂质体，用作生物细胞的模型。我们的想法是使用先进的电化学方法来研究脂质体的融合，以了解融合本身，并作为细胞胞吐的模型。微电极工作以及使用纳米管尖端的扫描电化学显微镜（SECM）将被执行。要检查的参数包括囊泡大小、融合方式、膜组成、pH值和离子强度，以及水凝胶人工致密核的发展。胞吐是细胞间（如神经元间）交流的基本过程。更好地了解胞吐可以改善脑功能模型和治疗方法。囊泡融合是药物传递的重要过程。这项工作在微流体和生物传感器方面都有应用。

Professor Andrew Ewing of Pennsylvania State University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to fabricate unilamellar liposomes to use as models for biological cells. The idea is to study fusion of the liposomes using advanced electrochemical methods in order to learn about fusion itself, and as a model for cell exocytosis. Microelectrode work as well as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) using nanotube tips will be performed. Parameters to be examined include vesicle size, mode of fusion, membrane composition, pH and ionic strength and development of an artificial dense core with hydrogels. Exocytosis is a fundamental process underlying communication between cells, for example between neurons. A better understanding of exocytosis could lead to improved models of brain function and treatment. Fusion of vesicles is an important process in drug delivery. There are applications of this work in microfluidics and possibly for biosensors as well.