BIOmimetic selective extraction MEMbranes

选择性地从水中提取化合物的能力将改变许多应用，从工业生物过程中的高价值化合物分离到从环境中去除污染物。然而，目前的过滤技术依赖于需要高压/能量输入的物理化学分离策略，无法区分特定的分子。BIOMEM将开发新型仿生膜，利用生物运输蛋白的独特选择性，促进具有精致特异性的单一化合物的提取。我们的概念是利用次级活性转运蛋白独特的反转运特性，即使在低浓度下，也能在聚合物膜上相对于它们的浓度梯度移动分子，从另一个容易获得的离子沿其自身浓度梯度的传输中获得能量。一组新的双功能聚合物将被用来提取膜蛋白及其相关的脂类到纳米级的圆盘中。然后将它们嵌入到聚合物膜中，否则聚合物膜是不可渗透的，以产生对感兴趣的化合物具有完全选择性的膜。这些仿生膜的特征是了解膜的组织和功能，以便为定制化合物进行设计和优化。生产的膜将在概念验证实验中进行功能性测试，以从散装生物质中提取复杂的高价值低聚糖，并从废水中提取磷酸盐。虽然最初将重点放在这两个应用上，但开发的分离技术将证明“即插即用”、定制的、能够通过现有或生物工程传输器运输特定分子的选择性膜的潜力。开发的膜将完全可扩展，运行速度可与最先进的纳滤设备相媲美，同时所需能源减少约50%-75%。

The ability to selectively extract compounds from waters will transform a multitude of applications, ranging from high-value compound isolation in industrial bioprocesses to removal of pollutants from the environment. However, current filtration technologies are reliant on physicochemical separation strategies requiring high pressure/energy inputs and cannot discriminate specific molecules. BIOMEM will develop novel biomimetic membranes harnessing the unique selectivity of biological transport proteins to facilitate the extraction of single compounds with exquisite specificity. Our concept is to use the unique antiport characteristics of secondary active transport proteins, to move molecules, even at low concentrations, across a polymer membrane against their concentration gradient, deriving energy from the transport of another readily available ion down its own concentration gradient. A novel group of bifunctional polymers will be used to extract membrane proteins, together with their associated lipids, into nanoscale discs. These will then be embedded into polymer membranes which are otherwise impermeable to create membranes that are completely selective for the compound of interest. These bio inspired membranes will be characterised to understand organisation and function of the membrane, to allow design and optimisation for custom compounds. The produced membranes will be tested for functionality in a proof-of-concept experiment to extract complex high-value oligosaccharides from bulk biomass and phosphate from wastewaters. While initially focussing on those two applications, the separation technology developed will evidence the potential for “plug and play”, bespoke, selective membranes capable of transporting specific molecules through existing or bio-engineered transporters. The developed membranes will be fully scalable and operate at rates comparable to state-of-the-art nanofiltration devices, while simultaneously requiring around 50-75% less energy.