New Strategy for Encapsulating Integral Membrane Proteins

非技术：PI的目标是提供一种策略，使大多数整合膜蛋白（IMP）可以常规地封装在纳米大小的凝胶孔中，用于药物发现，生物技术和能源生产。 IMP是纳米尺寸的生物主力，当它们嵌入生物膜宿主中时，它们产生能量，充当受体、通道、转运体和酶。 同样，纳米多孔凝胶和玻璃是现代技术的支柱，因为它们独特的光化学，光学和催化性能。含有PI IMP的生物功能凝胶将联合收割机结合这些独特的功能：例如，凝胶（用于太阳能捕获）和IMP（用于吸收更宽波长光谱的能量）。他们将研究纳米脂蛋白颗粒（NLP）作为无机和有机纳米多孔凝胶中截留的IMP的生物膜宿主。 NLP是由支架蛋白带稳定的圆盘状10-25纳米大小的脂质双层贴片。 NLP方法代表了一个重大突破，因为NLP精确地适合凝胶的5-50纳米大小的孔，并且NLP作为任何IMP的强大宿主，使得所有组件保持功能。 在培训方面，从事该项目的工程本科生和研究生将获得宝贵的经验，为他们将材料科学与生物技术相结合的新职业做好准备。继之前的成功之后，PI将组织第二次国际研讨会“生物膜前沿：纳米结构，模型和生命设计：II”。此外，他们还将发表一篇关于“创建和表征生物膜/材料界面”的评论。技术支持： 整合膜蛋白（IMPs）需要一个脂质膜主机，并进行了一些有用的生物功能，可以利用常规封装在介孔溶胶-凝胶材料。 PI将研究纳米脂蛋白颗粒（NLP）作为无机和有机介孔溶胶-凝胶中截留IMP的生物膜宿主。 NLP是可溶性盘状10-25 nm大小的颗粒，其由通过载脂蛋白支架蛋白带稳定的脂质双层贴片组成，所述载脂蛋白支架蛋白带可以通过体外自组装形成。 NLP精确地适合凝胶的5-50 nm大小的孔，并且NLP充当IMP的稳健宿主，因此所有组分可以保留其结构和功能。 从科学的角度来看，探索与NLP和IMP-NLP的动力学，结构和功能相关的纳米级限制和化学环境参数对于想象和优化任何未来应用都很重要。 这些参数的表征将采用最先进的动态TEM，电子顺磁共振，NMR，圆二色性和荧光分析的综合研究。材料科学与化学工程专业的本科生和研究生将在新的细胞生物学和生物工程技术方面接受有价值的跨学科培训，即在功能性生物复合材料溶胶-凝胶材料生产的背景下无细胞表达。 PI将组织一个国际研讨会，“生物膜前沿：纳米结构，模型和生命设计：II”，并发表关于“创建和表征生物膜/材料界面”的教学评论。在教育竞技场，PI将提供关于生物材料的特别专题新生研讨会。

Non-Technical: The PIs goal is to provide a strategy so that the majority of integral membrane proteins (IMPs) could be routinely encapsulated in the nanometer-sized pores of gels for drug discovery, and biotechnology, and energy generation. IMPs are nanometer-size biological workhorses that produce energy, serve as receptors, channels, transporters, and enzymes, when they are embedded in biological membrane hosts. Similarly, nanoporous gels and glasses are mainstays of modern technology because of their unique photochemical, optical, and catalytic properties. PIs IMP-containing bio-functional gels will combine these unique functionalities: e.g. the gel (for solar energy capture) and the IMP for energy absorption from a broader spectrum of wavelengths. They will study nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) as the biological membrane hosts of IMPs entrapped in inorganic and organic nanoporous gels. NLPs are disc-shaped 10-25 nanometer-sized lipid bilayer patches stabilized by a belt of scaffold proteins. The NLP approach represents a major breakthrough because NLPs fit precisely into the 5-50 nanometer-sized pores of the gels and NLPs serve as a robust host for any IMP so that all components remain functional. On the training side, engineering undergraduates and graduate students working on this project will gain valuable experience that will prepare them for new careers that integrate materials science with biotechnology. Following previous success the PIs will organize a second international workshop "Biomembrane Frontiers: Nanostructures, Models, and the Design of Life: II". Further, they will publish a Tutorial Review on "Creating and Characterizing Biomembrane/Materials Interfaces". Technical: Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) require a lipid membrane host and carry out a number of useful biological functions that could be harnessed by routine encapsulation in mesoporous sol-gel materials. The PIs will study nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) as the biological membrane hosts of IMPs entrapped in inorganic and organic mesoporous sol-gels. NLPs are soluble discoidal 10-25 nm-sized particles comprised of a lipid bilayer patch stabilized by a belt of apolipoprotein scaffold proteins that can be formed through in vitro self-assembly. NLPs fit precisely into the 5-50 nm-sized pores of the gels and NLPs serve as robust hosts for IMPs, therefore all components may retain their structures and functions. Exploration of the parameters of nanoscale confinement and chemical environment in relation to dynamics, structure, and function of the NLP and IMP-NLP are important from a scientific standpoint as well as toward imagining and optimizing any future applications. Characterization of these parameters will take place with integrated studies employing state-of-the-art dynamic TEM, electron paramagnetic resonance, NMR, circular dichroism, and fluorimetry. Materials Science and Chemical Engineering undergraduates and graduate students working on this project will receive valuable interdisciplinary training in new cell biological and bioengineering techniques, i.e. cell free expression, in the context of production of a functional biocomposite sol-gel materials. The PIs will organize an international workshop, "Biomembrane Frontiers: Nanostructures, Models, and the Design of Life: II" and publish an Instructional Review on "Creating and Characterizing Biomembrane/Materials Interfaces". In the education arena, PIs will provide special topical freshman seminars on Biomaterials.