BIOmimetic selective extraction MEMbranes

从沃茨中选择性提取化合物的能力将改变许多应用，从工业生物过程中的高价值化合物分离到从环境中去除污染物。然而，目前的过滤技术依赖于需要高压/能量输入的物理化学分离策略，并且不能区分特定分子。BIOMEM将开发新型仿生膜，利用生物转运蛋白的独特选择性，以促进具有精致特异性的单一化合物的提取。我们的概念是利用次级活性转运蛋白的独特反向转运特性，即使在低浓度下，也能使分子逆着其浓度梯度穿过聚合物膜，从另一种容易获得的离子沿其自身浓度梯度的转运中获得能量。一组新的双功能聚合物将被用来提取膜蛋白，连同其相关的脂质，到纳米级光盘。然后将其嵌入到聚合物膜中，否则聚合物膜是不可渗透的，以产生对感兴趣的化合物完全选择性的膜。这些生物启发的膜将被表征，以了解膜的组织和功能，从而允许设计和优化定制化合物。生产的膜将在概念验证实验中进行功能测试，以从大量生物质中提取复杂的高价值寡糖和从废水中提取磷酸盐。虽然最初专注于这两种应用，但开发的分离技术将证明“即插即用”、定制的选择性膜的潜力，该膜能够通过现有或生物工程转运蛋白转运特定分子。开发的膜将完全可扩展，并以与最先进的纳滤设备相当的速率运行，同时需要减少约50-75%的能源。

The ability to selectively extract compounds from waters will transform a multitude of applications, ranging from high-value compound isolation in industrial bioprocesses to removal of pollutants from the environment. However, current filtration technologies are reliant on physicochemical separation strategies requiring high pressure/energy inputs and cannot discriminate specific molecules. BIOMEM will develop novel biomimetic membranes harnessing the unique selectivity of biological transport proteins to facilitate the extraction of single compounds with exquisite specificity. Our concept is to use the unique antiport characteristics of secondary active transport proteins, to move molecules, even at low concentrations, across a polymer membrane against their concentration gradient, deriving energy from the transport of another readily available ion down its own concentration gradient. A novel group of bifunctional polymers will be used to extract membrane proteins, together with their associated lipids, into nanoscale discs. These will then be embedded into polymer membranes which are otherwise impermeable to create membranes that are completely selective for the compound of interest. These bio inspired membranes will be characterised to understand organisation and function of the membrane, to allow design and optimisation for custom compounds. The produced membranes will be tested for functionality in a proof-of-concept experiment to extract complex high-value oligosaccharides from bulk biomass and phosphate from wastewaters. While initially focussing on those two applications, the separation technology developed will evidence the potential for “plug and play”, bespoke, selective membranes capable of transporting specific molecules through existing or bio-engineered transporters. The developed membranes will be fully scalable and operate at rates comparable to state-of-the-art nanofiltration devices, while simultaneously requiring around 50-75% less energy.