Collaborative Research: Interaction between Spherical Particles and Biomembranes

材料研究部的生物材料项目资助加州大学欧文分校和加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员合作，研究纳米颗粒如何穿过肺部表面活性剂修饰的空气-水屏障。该项目由土木、机械和制造创新部的生物力学和机械生物学项目共同资助。为了了解纳米颗粒在肺内的这种运输，研究人员计划解决控制小颗粒和单层相互作用的基本物理问题，这反过来又对它们与生物膜的相互作用有更广泛的影响。本研究的主要重点将是了解单层动力学的作用，例如，呼吸过程中肺的压缩和扩张，以及颗粒通过单层的运输。这种实验方法将开发一种新的实验模型，将动态Langmuir单层技术（表面活性剂层的膨胀和压缩）与传统肺静态研究中使用的细胞培养模型相结合。此外，非平衡单层结构和动力学的新理论，如折叠，将作为该项目的一部分发展。建议的教学和培训包括材料研究、物理和生物学方面的研究生和本科生跨学科培训，他们将参与新的实验和理论研究的设计和开发，并与加州大学洛杉矶分校生物物理中心的研究人员密切合作。纳米和微米尺度颗粒与肺内空气-水屏障的相互作用对健康有显著的影响，既有积极的影响，也有消极的影响。消极的一面是，构成空气污染的小颗粒通过肺部进入血液，对健康产生负面影响。积极的一面是，更好地了解颗粒如何穿过肺屏障进入血液，将有助于创造新的雾化药物，这种药物无需注射即可输送，对健康有一系列好处。例如，这对糖尿病患者和其他需要频繁注射的人有很大的好处。为了更好地理解颗粒是如何穿过肺屏障的，我们需要一个模型系统，它包含了呼吸过程中肺的压缩和扩张。该奖项将支持必要的工作，以开发这样一个实验系统，并从理论上理解粒子如何穿过肺屏障。该研究还为研究生和本科生提供物理和生物边界的跨学科技术培训，这对下一代研究人员和未来科学工作队伍的发展是必要的。

The Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research funds the collaborative efforts of researchers at University of California Irvine and University of California Los Angeles to study how nanoparticles cross the surfactant-decorated air-water barrier within the lungs. This project is cofunded by the Biomechanics and Mechanobiology program in the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation. To understand this transport of nanoparticles within the lung, the researchers plan to address the fundamental physics governing the interaction of small particles and monolayers, which in turn has broader implications for their interaction with biological membranes. The main focus of this study will be to understand the role of monolayer dynamics, e.g., the compression and expansion of the lung during breathing, and on particulate transport through the monolayer. This experimental approach would be developing a new experimental model combining dynamic Langmuir monolayer techniques 'expanding and compressing of a surfactant layer' with cellular culture models used in traditional static studies of the lung. In addition, new theories for nonequilibrium monolayer structure and dynamics, e.g. folding, will be developed as part of this project. The proposed teaching and training include interdisciplinary training of graduate and undergraduate students in materials research, physics and biology, and they will be participating in the design and development of the new experimental and theoretical studies, and close collaboration with researchers at UCLA Center for Biological Physics. The interaction of nano- and micron-scale particles with the air-water barrier in the lung has significant health impacts, some positive and some negative. On the negative side, small particles making up part of air pollution have a negative impact on health when they enter the bloodstream through the lung. On the positive side, a better understanding of how particles cross the lung barrier into the blood stream will allow for the creation of new aerosolized drugs that could be delivered without injections providing a range of health benefits. For example, this provides great benefit to diabetics and others who otherwise require frequent injections. To better understand how particles cross the lung barrier, one needs a model system that incorporates the compression and expansion of the lung that occurs during breathing. This award will support the work necessary to develop such an experimental system and to understand theoretically how particles cross the lung barrier. The research also provides for the training of graduate and undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary techniques at the boundaries of physics and biology, which is necessary for the next generation of researchers, and development of the scientific work force of the future.