CAREER: The Behavior of Proteins at the Solid-Liquid Interface Monitored in situ with Infrared-Visible Sum Frequency Generation: Investigating the Role of Interfacial Water

这个CAREER项目解决了在吸附蛋白质分子的情况下，水在液固界面的分子水平结构。在分析和表面化学项目的支持下，德克萨斯农工大学的Paul Cremer教授和他的同事将研究水、蛋白质分子和固体二氧化硅表面的相互作用。了解这些类型的系统对各种应用都很重要，包括生物相容性，食品和制药工业中的生物污垢，以及生物传感器和催化剂的开发。红外-可见和频率生成方法将用于探测底物相关水在吸附蛋白质存在下的结构。时间分辨的研究将被实施，以跟踪在固体表面吸附蛋白质分子的结构变化。本计划的教学内容包括为高年级本科生开设生物物理化学课程，以及实施蛋白质表面相互作用领域的本科生研究项目。蛋白质分子与表面的相互作用在生物传感器的发展、增强医疗植入物的生物相容性以及理解食品和制药加工机械中的生物污垢过程中非常重要。这些系统中吸附水的结构提供了可用于设计具有所需蛋白质吸附特性的表面的详细信息。这个CAREER项目使用最先进的表面光谱学方法来探索这个结构问题。该项目教育方面的重点是将基础研究与培养生物物理科学家的教育目标相结合，并将其与该领域课程材料的开发相结合。

This CAREER project addresses the molecular level structure of water at the liquid solid interface in the presence of adsorbed protein molecules. Professor Paul Cremer and his coworkers at Texas A&M, with the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, will examine the interactions of water, protein molecules, and solid silica surfaces. An understanding of these types of systems is important to a variety of applications, including biocompatibility, biofouling in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and in the development of biosensors and catalysts. Infrared-visible sum frequency generation methods will be used to probe the structure of substrate associated water in the presence of adsorbed protein. Time resolved studies will be implemented to follow structural changes upon adsorption of protein molecules at the solid surface. Educational aspects of this project include the development of a bio-physical chemistry course for upper level undergraduates, and the implementation of undergraduate research projects in the field of protein surface interactions. The interaction of protein molecules with surfaces is important in the development of biosensors, in enhancing biocompatibility for medical implants, and for understanding the process of biofouling in food and pharmaceutical process machinery. The structure of adsorbed water in these systems provides the detailed information that can be used to design surfaces with desired protein adsorption properties. This CAREER project uses state of the art surface spectroscopic methods to probe this structural question. Integration of this basic research with educational goals in the training of bio-physical scientists and in the development of course materials in this area is the focus of the educational aspect of this project.