Protein Structural-Dynamics at Solid Surfaces: Beyond Static Snapshots

该项目将使用高速原子力显微镜直接可视化与表面“作用”的单个蛋白质，以前所未有的结构和时间分辨率揭示它们在液体中的动力学。这种表征超越了蛋白质结构的静态“快照”，走向蛋白质构象的动态变化，这将使新的探索在液-固界面的关键生物过程。新的基础发现将对医疗器械涂层、生物材料、生物传感器、微流体设备、蛋白质纯化和诊断分析等技术产生影响，这些技术严重依赖于吸附或固定蛋白质的生物功能。

The project will use High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy to directly visualize single proteins in ‘action’ with surfaces, revealing their dynamics at unprecedented combined structural and temporal resolution in liquid. Such characterization moves beyond static ‘snapshots’ of protein structure, toward the dynamic changes in protein conformation that will enable new exploration of key biological processes at liquid-solid interfaces. New fundamental discoveries will have an impact on technologies such as medical device coatings, biomaterials, biosensors, microfluidics devices, protein purification and diagnostics assays that are critically dependent on the biological function of adsorbed or immobilized proteins.