Model Cytoplasm: From Fundamentals to Asymmetric Division of Cytomimetic Vesicles

这一奖项由分析和表面化学项目(与分子和细胞生物科学部细胞系统集群共同资助)支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Christine Kating教授和她的团队基于生物相关聚合物和细胞内环境构建生物细胞模型。这项工作旨在阐明基础大分子化学在细胞内组织和生化微区划中的可能作用(S)，探索这些简单的物理现象可能导致复杂的细胞行为，如分化和不对称繁殖。这是通过将蛋白质和聚阴离子水溶液表征为合成细胞质，并通过使用这些新的聚合物系统来理解细胞极性和不对称细胞分裂的原始路线来实现的。潜在的长期影响包括设计针对细胞内组织的关键方面的药物的可能性，作为对基于酶活性部位的现有方法的补充。其他成果包括在生物分离和将蛋白质等大分子药物包裹在囊泡递送载体方面的进展。学生接受化学、材料科学和生物学的交互培训--这个领域对美国医学和环境科学的未来越来越重要。在K-12和本科层面的推广活动包括：(1)每年夏天接待一名K-12教师，(2)本科生在暑假和学年参与研究，早在大一就开始，以及(3)与包括女性科学与工程组织(WISE)在内的校园内团体组织的现有推广项目合作，为高中女生举办夏令营。

This award by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry program (with co-funding from the Cellular Systems Cluster of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences) supports Professor Christine Keating and her group at Pennsylvania State University for constructing models of biological cells based on biologically relevant polymers and intracellular environments. The work aims to shed light on the possible role(s) of fundamental macromolecular chemistry in intracellular organization and biochemical microcompartmentation, exploring the possibility that these simple physical phenomena can lead to complex cellular behaviors such as differentiation and asymmetric reproduction. This is accomplished by characterizing aqueous protein and polyanion solutions as synthetic cytoplasms, and by using these new polymer systems to understand primitive routes to cell polarity and asymmetric cell division. Potential long-term implications include the possibility of designing drugs to target critical aspects of intracellular organization, as a complement to current methods based on enzyme active sites. Additional outcomes include advances in bioseparations and in the encapsulation of large drug molecules such as proteins in vesicle delivery vehicles. Students are trained at the interface of chemistry, materials science, and biology - an area of increasing importance for the future of medical and environmental science in the U.S. Outreach at the K-12 and undergraduate levels includes: (1) hosting a K-12 teacher each summer, (2) participation of undergraduate students in the research both during the summers and during the academic year, starting as early as the freshman level, and (3) partnering with existing outreach programs organized by on-campus groups including the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) summer camps for high school girls.