International Postdoctoral Fellows Program: In Vitro Study of the Role of Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin on the Enhanced Protein Production of Escherichia coli(Travel Award)

该奖项是根据国际 博士后研究员计划，使 美国科学家和工程师将进行三次 在国外中心进行为期12个月的研究 证明卓越。 该计划的奖项 提供联合研究的机会， 使用独特或互补的设施， 国外的实验条件和经验。 该奖项将支持为期12个月的 克莱尔博士的博士后研究访问 匹兹堡大学的Komives工作 J. E教授贝利在瑞士 位于苏黎世的联邦理工学院， Switzerland. 这个项目的目的是阐明 玻璃体血红蛋白（VHb）的作用机制 在体外培养，并研究其功能， 合成细胞环境。 两种机制 已经提出了蛋白质作用， 提供了本研究的基础。 的能力 用于改善细胞的氧摄取， 及其在影响全球化进程方面的潜在作用 氧利用率 将探索细胞成分。 因为VHb 两者都与细胞膜结合， 存在于细胞内，其功能不能被 仅仅通过研究它就能正确理解它， 溶液 反胶束提供了一种新颖的 创造细胞样环境的方法 进行体外机制 问题研究 表面活性剂或磷脂层 将水池封装在非极性的 溶剂类似于细胞膜。 因此，在本发明中， 将在井中研究VHb作用 一种模仿一些重要的 细胞组成的特征，但缺乏 相互关联的化学途径的复杂性 是活细胞功能所必需的 授标建议提供资金， 包括前往瑞士的国际旅行和 十二个月的津贴。

This award is under the International Postdoctoral Fellows Program, which enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twelve months of research at foreign centers of proven excellence. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a twelve-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. Claire Komives of the University of Pittsburgh to work with Professor Dr. J. E. Bailey at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. The objective of this project is to elucidate the mechanism of Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin (VHb) in vitro, and to study its function in a synthetic cell environment. Two mechanisms for the protein action have been suggested which provide the basis of this study. The capacity of VHb for improving oxygen uptake to the cell, and its potential role in affecting the efficiency of oxygen utilization by specific cell components will be explored. Because VHb both associates with the cell membrane and resides within the cell, its function cannot be properly understood by merely studying it in solution. Reversed micelles offer a novel approach to creating a cell-like environment for carrying out the in vitro mechanistic studies. The surfactant or phospholipid layer encapsulating water pools within an apolar solvent is analogous to a cell membrane. Thus, the action of VHb is to be studied in a well characterized medium that mocks some important features of cell make-up, but which lacks the complexity of interconnected chemical pathways necessary to the function of a living cell. The award recommendation provides funds to cover international travel to Switzerland and a stipend for twelve months.