Functional and functionalized membranes

在过去的发现资助期间，我们的实验室已经建立了一个成功的，富有成效的，国内和国际公认的生物物理学研究计划。我们为各级HQP提供有效的培训计划。我们的目标是在下一个资助期内培养至少2名高中生，36名本科生，3名硕士生和4名博士生。学生将发展软技能，如项目管理，分析，演示和沟通技巧，并学习在干湿实验室工作，使用最先进的研究设备，并发展计算技能。这种动手解决问题的技能和分析能力将为他们的研究生和专业学校以及各种职业生涯做好准备。我们的长期目标是利用实验和计算机模拟从脂质的角度帮助理解细胞膜。使用我们新的生理相关的红细胞（RBC）膜分析，我们将更好地了解膜特性，它们与小分子，药物，肽和蛋白质的相互作用，以及细胞膜中可能与神经变性和感染性疾病相关的相关过程-这是该提案的“功能膜”方面。 我们将利用这些知识和我们在操纵膜方面的专业知识来制造具有特定性能的膜，用于细菌和病毒传感以及药物输送等应用-在该项目的“功能化膜”方面。我们将通过包埋抗体和包封抗生素来研究我们的红脂质体的抗病毒和抗生素特性。我们的目标是充分开发和利用我们的红细胞膜测定作为生理相关的体外膜模型。我们将研究与生物表面，粘土和无机盐接触的核苷酸，RNA和DNA片段的组织，以研究RNA聚合物是否可以在没有蛋白质或酶的情况下在益生元条件下形成。这项研究将在新的生命起源实验室进行。我们将使用行星模拟器来创建不同的早期地球和早期行星环境，包括热和水化循环，以测试原始细胞是否可以在温暖的小池塘中形成的假设。 我坚信公平和多样性可以提高研究生产力。在不同的平等群体中，该研究方案的一个主要目标是增加物理专业女生的人数。我的实验室已经培养了相当大比例（65%）的女学生。我们将通过以下方式进一步改善我们的努力：（1）提供一个包容，尊重和无骚扰的环境，（2）创造成功的女性榜样，以及（3）通过吸引对生物学和健康相关主题感兴趣的大量女学生来吸引学生的智能招聘策略。社交媒体将用于招聘，以公正的方式进行宣传。

During the past Discovery funding periods, our lab has established a successful, productive, and nationally, and internationally recognized research program in biological physics. We run an effective training program for HQP on all levels. Our goal is to train a minimum of 2 high school, 36 undergraduate, 3 Master's, and 4 PhD students during the next funding period. Students will develop soft skills, such as project management, analytical, presentation and communication skills, and learn to work in wet and dry lab, to use state-of-the-art research equipment, and develop computational skills. This skillset of hands-on problem solving, and analytical skills will prepare them for graduate and professional schools, and a variety of professional careers. Our long-term objective is to contribute to the understanding of cell membranes from a lipid perspective using experiments and computer simulations. Using our new, physiologically relevant red blood cell (RBC) based membrane assay, we will better understand membrane properties, their interaction with small molecules, drugs, peptides and proteins, and relevant processes in cell membranes that can be related to neurogenerative and infectious diseases - this is the "Functional Membranes" aspect of the proposal. We will use this knowledge and our expertise in manipulating membranes to fabricate membranes with specific properties for applications, such as bacteria and virus sensing, and drug delivery - in the "Functionalized Membranes" aspect of this project. We will investigate antiviral and antibiotic properties of our erythroliposomes by embedding antibodies and encapsulating antibiotics. Our goal is to fully develop and exploit our RBC membrane assay as a physiologically relevant in-vitro membrane model. We will study the organization of nucleotides and RNA and DNA fragments in contact with biological surfaces, clays and inorganic salts to investigate if RNA-polymers can form under prebiotic conditions, in the absence of proteins or enzymes. This research will be conducted in the new Origins of Life Laboratory. We will use the Planet Simulator to create different early-Earth and early planetary environments, including thermal and hydration cycling, to test the hypothesis if protocells can have formed in warm little ponds. I strongly believe that equity and diversity enhance research productivity. Out of the different equity deserving groups, a major goal of this research program is to increase the number of female students in physics. My lab already trains a relatively large percentage (65%) of female students. We will further improve our efforts by (1) providing an inclusive, respectful and harassment free environment, by (2) creating successful female role models, and (3) a smart recruitment strategy by attracting students from the large pool of female students interested in biology and health-related topics. Social media will be used for recruitment to reach out in an unbiased way.