Separations with Reversible Nanogels

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With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, and co-funding from the Chemical and Biological Separations (CBS) Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, Professor Lisa Holland and her group at West Virginia University are developing a thermally-reversible, self-assembled, phospholipid nanogel for chemical separations. These nanogels are a new material with unprecedented ability to separate mixtures of complex biomolecules. The full range of applications for this material will be characterized by determining the fluidic properties of the material under different conditions and by recording the separation performance for standard sets of biopolymers including DNA, peptides, proteins, and carbohydrates. The technology to be developed will directly affect research in many fields that rely on electrophoretic and micro-scale separation based assays to identify the biomolecule present in the sample as well as the concentration. The research indirectly influences other fields utilizing phospholipids for structural analyses by nuclear magnetic resonance, as biomimetic coatings, as templates for fabrication, and for the investigation of membrane protein function. Finally, self-assembled phospholipid nanogels serve as a model smart-material for which the material properties change under different environmental conditions. The teaching, training, and learning fostered under this award lead to valuable support of human resources. Graduate students who participate in innovative research and interdisciplinary research experiences will earn PhD degrees and enter the workforce with the ability to work across scientific disciplines. The graduate researchers engaged in this project gain valuable training in bioanalyses, material science, fluid dynamics, and micro-scale separations of biological molecules. In addition, micro-flow systems in the form of microfluidic devices will be adapted for the middle school science classroom. Science education at this level benefits young students as they begin the process of career identity. Lessons will be developed that align with teaching objectives to support the science curricula. The curricula and micro-flow experiments will be disseminated through local and national presentations, by means of a teaching workshop, and by submitting the material as a collection to the NSF funded National Science Digital Library so that is it freely available on-line.