RUI: Structural Determinants of Permeation and Nucleation at a Self-Assembled Interface

在这个研究项目中，在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，爱奥娜学院的Sunghee Lee教授和她的本科生对活细胞如何维持水平衡有了更深入的了解，这是生命所必需的。他们使用受自然启发的技术来制造量身定制的颗粒——这些颗粒是细胞大小的水滴，用作自然细胞系统的模型。大量的本科生参与了这项研究，其中许多学生发表了同行评议的论文。举办了包括高中学生和教师在内的各种外展研讨会和科学专题讨论会，以激励和鼓励下一代STEM教育工作者。李教授特别关注弱势群体。除了了解活细胞中的水平衡外，这项研究还可以在工业上应用于设计用于净化水的反渗透系统。本项目的重点是了解在液-液界面组装的超分子聚集体（包括表面活性剂双层）如何介导小分子的通过和直接生物矿化。系统的研究确定了双层结合材料（如纳米材料）对液滴界面双层（DIB）水传输特性的影响。实验活动主要集中在获取渗透流的透水性参数，同时通过拉曼定量测定电性能和成分研究。通过对生物矿物形成的成核研究，实验策略提供了对双层超分子组装如何促进重要目标（生物矿物和蛋白质）结晶的见解。生物矿化是指生物体产生矿物质的过程，这些矿物质通常用于硬化或硬化现有组织。

In this research program, with support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Sunghee Lee of Iona College and her undergraduate students gain greater fundamental understanding of how living cells maintain their water balance - a property that is essential to life. They use nature-inspired techniques to create tailor-made particles - these particles are cell-sized water droplets which are used as models for natural cellular systems. A large number of undergraduate students are engaged in this research and many of these students publish peer-reviewed manuscripts. Diverse outreach seminars and science symposia involving high school students and teachers are conducted to inspire and encourage the next generation of STEM educators. Professor Lee reaches out to underrepresented groups in particular. In addition to understanding the water balance in living cells, the research could also have industrial applications in the design of reverse osmosis systems used to purify water.This project focuses on understanding how supramolecular aggregates assembled at liquid-liquid interfaces (including surfactant bilayers) mediate the passage of small molecules and direct biomineralization. Systematic studies determine the effect of bilayer-incorporated materials (e.g., nanomaterials) upon the characteristics of water transport through the droplet interface bilayer (DIB). Experimental activities primarily focus on acquisition of water permeability parameters for osmotic flow in conjunction with the determination of electrical properties, and compositional studies via Raman quantification. Experimental strategies provide insight into how bilayered supramolecular assemblies promote the crystallization of important targets (biominerals and proteins), through nucleation studies of biomineral formation. Biomineralization is the process by which living organisms produce minerals that are often used to harden or stiffen existing tissues.