Research Initiation Award: Ion-exchange Adsorption of Proteins

这项研究将试图阐明蛋白质的生物物理化学与离子交换分离中使用的吸附表面之间的相互作用。这项研究将采用结构、分子规模的方法，通过使用遗传工程来生产已知结构的单个测试蛋白质的电荷改变形式。蛋白质表面电荷基团的每一次系统变化所引起的吸附等温线和吸附热力学的变化，将直接检验每一种蛋白质残基对蛋白质的吸附作用。离子交换层析已经成为生物技术中的重要工具。然而，许多与蛋白质在离子交换树脂上的吸附有关的现象却知之甚少，包括吸附过程有部分破坏蛋白质的趋势，这降低了蛋白质的有用性。通过使用基因工程只修改蛋白质表面的一小部分，这个项目应该对基本理解蛋白质的离子交换做出重大贡献。

This research will seek to elucidate the interaction between the biophysical chemistry of proteins and the adsorption surfaces used in ion-exchange separations. The study will take a structural, molecular-scale approach through the use of genetic engineering to produce charge-altered forms of a single test protein of known structure. The variation of adsorption isotherm and adsorption thermodynamics resulting from each systematic change in charge groups on the surface of the protein will provide a direct test of the involvement of each protein residue in the adsorption of the protein. Ion Exchange chromatography has already emerged as an important tool in biotechnology. Many of the phenomena related to the adsorption of proteins on ion exchange resins are poorly understood, however, including the tendency of the adsorption process to partially damage the protein, which reduces its usefulness. By using genetic engineering to modify only small regions of the surface of the protein, this project should make a major contribution to the fundamental understanding of the ion exchange of proteins.