ProjektportalA new approach to determining the bending modulus of lipid membranes using fluorescence measurements.
Terrmin
VT22
Beskrivning
Lipid membranes lie at the core of cell membranes as well as of lipid-based nanoparticles intended for drug delivery. The mechanical properties of the lipid membrane are an important parameter to predict its stability and suitability for e.g. drug delivery applications. In this project, you will develop a fluorescence-based method to determine the bending modulus of lipid membranes. The method is based on the quenching of a fluorescent dye encapsulated in liposomes (i.e. lipid bilayer vesicles) subjected to osmotic stress. The bending modulus relates directly to the softness/rigidity of the lipid membrane and, thus, to its mechanical stability. In the final stages of the project, you will investigate how relevant therapeutic drugs and biomolecules affect the mechanical stability of lipid membranes.
During the project, you will use mainly fluorescence spectroscopy (both steady-state and life-time measurements) and will apply mathematical models to relate the obtained signals to the resistance of liposomes towards deformation. The fluorescence experiments can be complemented with Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D).
Huvudområde
Farmaceutisk kemi
Ämne
Fysikalisk kemi
Typ
Laborativ studie
Företag
Institutionen för Läkemedelskemi, UU
Ort/Plats
Uppsala
Handledarens namn
Víctor Agmo Hernández
Handledarens e-post
victor.agmo@ilk.uu.se
Institution
Program
Kurs
Omfattning/hp
30hp
Hur många studenter kan antagas för detta projekt?
1