Mechanism and Dynamics of Protein Interactions with Polymer Brushes

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 0804113 PI: Leckband， Deborah ORG: Illinois-Urbana/ champaign标题：蛋白质与聚合物刷相互作用的机制和动力学知识价值：该提案旨在确定控制蛋白质和细胞与生物材料相互作用的工程设计规则。生物材料设计面临的一个核心和持久的问题是蛋白质在材料表面的不受控制的吸附。目前对于如何设计抗蛋白质涂层还没有普遍的共识。目前知识的一个主要差距是对水介质中蛋白质吸附到聚合物界面的基本机制的了解有限。如果没有这些信息，就很难定义控制特定行为的工程方法。该研究计划将通过结合合成化学和互补的实验方法来探索蛋白质与接枝聚合物相互作用的机制，从而解决这一知识差距。在目标1中，聚合物梯度将被用作高通量筛选平台，以鉴定支持蛋白质吸附的聚合物刷特性。在目标2中，荧光技术的组合将量化吸附蛋白质的扩散率作为刷参数的函数。在目标3中，氘化蛋白的中子反射率测量将确定吸附蛋白相对于聚合物刷的位置。最后，目标4将量化蛋白质和聚合物之间的吸引力和排斥力的大小和范围，这是蛋白质吸附行为的原因。这项工作将有助于了解蛋白质与聚合物刷的相互作用，并可以推进抗蛋白质吸附和生物污垢表面的设计和制备。更广泛的影响：这个项目的成功将揭示新的有用的机制，聚合物刷涂层可能保护表面免受不必要的蛋白质吸附。在扩大参与方面，该计划将继续PI目前的努力，让科学和工程领域代表性不足的学生参与研究工作。这些努力将包括将女性和代表性不足的少数民族纳入研究生水平的研究，并参与为少数民族本科生提供参与研究机会的暑期研究机会计划。

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 0804113 PI: Leckband, Deborah ORG: Illinois-Urbana/ChampaignTitle: Mechanism and Dynamics of Protein Interactions with Polymer BrushesINTELLECTUAL MERIT: The proposal aims to identify engineering design rules for controlling protein and cell interactions with biomaterials. A central and persistent problem confronting biomaterials design is the uncontrolled adsorption of proteins to material surfaces. There is currently no general consensus on how to design a protein-resistant coating. A major gap in current knowledge is the limited understanding of the basic mechanisms of protein adsorption to polymer interfaces in aqueous media. Absent this information, it is difficult to define engineering approaches to control specific behavior. This research plan will address this knowledge gap by using a combination of synthetic chemistry and complementary experimental approaches that probe the mechanisms by which proteins interact with grafted polymers. In Objective 1, polymer gradients will be used as high throughput screening platforms to identify polymer brush properties that support protein adsorption. In Objective 2, a combination of fluorescence techniques will quantify the diffusivity of adsorbed proteins as a function of the brush parameters. In Objective 3, neutron reflectivity measurements with deuterated proteins will determine where adsorbed proteins localize relative to the polymer brush. Finally, Objective 4 will quantify the magnitude and range of attractive and repulsive forces between proteins and polymers that are responsible for protein adsorption behavior. The work will help to develop an understanding of the interactions of proteins with polymer brushes and could advance the design and preparation of surfaces resistant to protein adsorption and biofouling.BROADER IMPACTS: Success of this project will shed new and useful light on the mechanisms by which polymer brush coatings may protect surfaces from unwanted protein adsorption. With respect to broadening participation, the project will continue the PI's on-going efforts to involve students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering in the research endeavor. These efforts will include inclusion of females and underrepresented minorities in graduate level research and participation in the Summer Research Opportunity Program that provides opportunities for minority undergraduate students to participate in research.