Novel Insights into the Nanostructure of the Skin Lipid Barrier by Biophysical Methods

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The skin lipid barrier, an extracellular ceramide-based multilamellar lipid structure, is vital for our survival on dry land. This project addresses the unknown mechanisms and conditions of lipid assembly into a functional barrier and the exact structure and dynamics of crucial molecules. We plan to obtain a clearer picture of these lipids´ nanoscopic architecture, probe the role of proteins, temperature, and ions on lipid assembly, and attempt to reproduce the physiological lipid remodeling in vitro. We will synthesize isotopically labeled lipids, immobilized lipids, antimicrobial peptides, and lipoproteins. We will construct established and new skin lipid models and study their properties in atomistic detail using biophysical methods (AFM, DSC, FTIR, Raman microscopy, XRD, neutron diffraction, and solid-state NMR), permeability and water loss experiments. Obtained data will be compared to electron microscopy images of (patho) physiological skin lipid lamellae. Our results should provide a better understanding of the lipid function in healthy and diseased skin lipid barrier.