Orientation and Function in Self-Organized Protein Films

该项目得到了分析和表面化学项目的支持，重点是使用一种新方法来探测在表征良好的表面上形成的蛋白质膜的结构和方向。 亚利桑那大学的Saavedra教授和他的同事将使用集成光波导衰减全反射和全内反射荧光技术来表征在Langmuir-Blodgett膜和自组装聚离子膜上制备的血红素蛋白膜。 重点将是开发血红素蛋白质的方向，功能特性和直接电子反应之间的相关性。 这项工作的长期目标涉及使用这些蛋白质薄膜的分子器件技术，如生物分析传感，能量存储/转换，和生物分离。 提出了一种利用集成光波导研究表面血红素蛋白结构的新方法。 亚利桑那大学的Saavedra教授和他的同事们开发了这种非常灵敏的方法来表征在良好表征的表面上形成的蛋白质薄膜。 这些蛋白质通过受控的静电相互作用在这些表面上形成膜。 这些薄蛋白质膜的性质预计将在生物分析传感，能量存储/转换和生物特异性分离等领域中使用。 开发新的分子器件应用于几个生物技术领域是这项工作的长期目标。

This project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focusses on the use of a new method for probing the structure and orientation of protein films formed on well characterized surfaces. Professor Saavedra and his colleagues at the University of Arizona will use integrated optical waveguide- attenuated total reflection and total internal refection fluorescence techniques to characterize heme protein films prepared on Langmuir-Blodgett films and self-assembled polyion films. The focus will be to develop correlations between heme protein orientation, functional properties, and direct electron reactions. Long-term objectives of this work involve use of these protein films in molecular device technologies such as bioanalytical sensing, energy storage/conversion, and bioseparations. A new method using integrated optical waveguides has been developed for studying the structure of heme proteins on surfaces. Professor Saavedra and his colleagues at the University of Arizona developed this very sensitive method to characterize thin protein films formed on well characterized surfaces. These proteins form films on these surfaces through controlled electrostatic interactions. The properties of these thin protein films are projected to have uses in areas such as bioanalytical sensing, energy storage/conversion, and biospecific separations. The development of new molecular devices for applications in several biotechnology areas is the long-term goal of this work.