Protein Manipulation in Lipid Bilayers using Surface Acoustic Waves

磷脂双层将细胞内部环境与外部世界隔开，为大分子和带电离子的运输提供了不可渗透的屏障。位于该双层内的蛋白质提供了营养物质和废物在细胞质和外部环境之间通过的机制。此外，它们还在传递细胞对化学变化的反应中发挥关键作用，例如与激素、毒素等的相互作用。在理解许多膜蛋白的功能方面的重大进展受到阻碍，因为一旦从其膜环境中移除，它们经常改变其结构并失去其功能。我们的团队对开发研究这种双层膜和蛋白质的新平台和工具有浓厚的兴趣。在这里，我们建议开发一种新的技术来操纵这些蛋白质，同时保持它们在脂质双层环境中。特别是，我们希望使用与消逝波（使用改进的表面声波装置创建）相关的电场来移动脂双层内的带电蛋白质。这代表了对膜蛋白进行简单操作的第一步，最终将使我们能够在双层内捕获，移动和分离蛋白质。这将是膜蛋白研究的重大突破。

The phospholipid bilayer that separates the internal cellular environment from the outside world presents an impervious barrier for the transport of large molecules and charged ions. Proteins located within this bilayer provide a mechanism for the passage of nutrients and waste products between the cytoplasm and the external environment. Further, they also play pivotal role in transmitting the cellular response to chemical changes such as the interaction with hormones, toxins, etc. It is not surprising that such proteins are of significant pharmaceutical interest. Significant progress in understanding the function of many membrane proteins has been hampered since they often change their structure, and lose their functionality, once removed from their membranous environment. Our group has a strong interest in developing new platforms and tools for studying such bilayer membranes and proteins. Here we propose to develop a new technique for manipulating such proteins whilst keeping them in their lipid bilayer environment. In particular, we wish to use the electric fields associated with evanescent waves (created using a modified surface acoustic wave device) to move charged proteins within the lipid bilayer. This represents the first step towards the facile manipulation of membrane proteins and which will eventually allow us to trap, move and separate proteins within the bilayer. The will be a significant breakthrough for the study of membrane proteins.