Characterization of Biomolecular Interactions at Interfaces Using Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

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With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes is supporting Professor Elsa Yan and her co-PI, Professor Victor Batista, to develop an optical method to characterize protein structures at interfaces. Characterization of protein structures at interfaces is important for understanding biological functions of proteins associated with cell membranes. It is also important for developing biomaterials and biosensors to meet the needs in biotechnology. However, there has been a lack of real-time and in situ method that can provide selectivity of both interface and protein secondary structures. To bridge this technological gap, this proposal seeks to establish chiral sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy into a robust method for unambigiuous identification of protein secondary structures in situ and in real time at interfaces. The project is expected to have broader scientific impact as it may lead to related approaches to study other chiral macromolecules at interfaces, including native biopolymers (e.g., DNA and RNA) and synthetic polymers and supramolecular assemblies at interfaces. The method provides optical signatures of protein secondary structures free of optical background from aqueous solvent and achiral solutes. The proposed research applies quantitative physical methods to study biomolecular systems, which is incorporated into the education activities conducted by the principle investigator both in classrooms and laboratories. These activities target students at the levels of high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral, providing them multidisciplinary training at the interface of biological and physical sciences.