Biophysical Study of Archaebacteria Biomembrane and Possible Application in Biomaterials
Abstract
The objective of this project is to study the structure and molecular basis for structural stability in Archaebacterial membranes. An additional objective is to study the utilization of these membranes in the production of new materials which are fabricated on the nanometer scale. We are focusing on the 2-dimensionally crystalline protein from the S-layer of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius which is resistant to low pH and high temperature. An additional system is bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium, a light driven proton pump, which also exhibits structural stability and two-dimensional ordering. Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy are being used to study the structure and stability of biomembranes from Archaebacteria as well as to probe their function at the single residue level. In the case of bacteriorhodopsin, structural stability can be probed by examining the effect of single amino acid substitutions. A method of utilizing these crystalline membranes s 2-dimensional masks for nanometer molecular lithography has been developed. Methods for incorporating active membrane components into ordered arrays fabricated on conducting films and addressing these components is an additional objective of this project. (AW)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 26, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA210174
Entities
People
- Kenneth J. Rothschild
Organizations
- Boston University