CAREER: Lateral Phase Separation of Rafts and Liquid Domains in Lipid Systems

该职业奖支持脂质单层和双层中“筏”结构域表征的研究。筏是细胞膜上特定脂质和蛋白质集中的区域，在信号传导等生物功能中起着重要作用。本研究将验证一个中心假设，即脂质囊泡中筏结构域的相行为可以通过单层中相同脂质的相行为来预测。本研究的具体目标包括使用荧光显微镜和双光子显微镜识别巨大单层囊泡中的筏结构域，使用已知的脂质在单层中形成液体有序结构域。此外，该研究将测试将对称性从单层改变为双层是否会改变畴的形成。这将通过寻找沉积在硅烷或烷烃-硫醇表面的单层中的筏域来评估。长期目标包括评估筏的存在是否会改变膜蛋白的活性。教育工作主要集中在提高化学和生物化学学生的数学素养。数学的重要性将在这些学生大学生涯的早期就被宣传出来。将开发数学自学教程，以澄清学生需要帮助的领域。结果数据将用于指导课程改革。将建立学习小组和电子邮件线程，以帮助学生相互学习。还将努力通过学生主持的系列讨论会和在实验室训练学生来增加研究生的部门参与。

This CAREER award supports research in the characterization of "raft" domains in lipid monolayers and bilayers. Rafts are regions in cell membranes in which particular lipids and proteins are concentrated, and can play an important role in biological functions such as signaling. This research will test a central hypothesis that the phase behavior of raft domains in lipid vesicles can be predicted from the phase behavior of the same lipids in monolayers. Specific goals of this research include using fluorescence microscopy and 2-photon microscopy to identify raft domains in giant unilamellar vesicles using lipids known to form liquid ordered domains in monolayers. In addition, the research will test whether changing symmetry from a monolayer to a bilayer alters domain formation. This will be evaluated by searching for raft domains in monolayers deposited on a surface patterned with silanes or alkane-thiols. Long-term goals include assessing whether the presence of rafts alters the activity of membrane proteins.Education efforts are focussed primarily on improving mathematical literacy of chemistry and biochemistry students. The importance of mathematics will be advertised to these students early in their college careers. A mathematics self-tutorial will be developed to clarify areas in which students need help. Resultant data will be used to guide curriculum changes. Study groups and e-mail threads will be instituted to help students learn from each other. Effort will also be directed to increasing departmental involvement of graduate students through a student-run colloquium series, and training students in the laboratory.