Understanding the Mission Versatility of Membrane Proteins via Nanoscopic Imaging
Abstract
My scientific aim is to develop and use new nanoscopic biophysics imaging tools that are compatible with liquids and the near-atomic resolving power of electron microscopy. We selected membrane proteins as the target of investigation. They are an ideal system in which to develop the tools and beyond this, these molecules are abundant in living cells where, among other functions, they keep the gates of mass transport and signaling across cell membranes. Their transformations, motions, and signaling transductions in ever-changing liquid environments are critical in almost every process in living cells relevant to augmentation of human performance and protection. Their responsive structures enable mission versatility and suggest design and operation principles which can address the emerging needs of the Air Force for modernized, adaptive and multi-functional weapons and materials. Yet it is hard even for state-of-the-art biophysics tools to watch the above structural dynamics, as they have to compromise between nm structure imaging and the liquid environment in which the dynamics happens. We will bridge this gap by utilizing novel implementation of liquid phase transmission electron microscopy, a nano-aquarium composed of atomic-thin graphene or SiNx windows, to watch membrane proteins, the free ones that rotate and reconstituted ones in freestanding cell membranes, one-by-one in real time at unmatched resolution. For signaling transductions, we will observe the structural response of membrane proteins to chemical and electrical signals and understand the fundamental nature of bioelectricity. We expect these tools to open new opportunities for membrane protein studies, a promising frontier of biophysics at the nanoscale, now with the physiological water, as well as novel opportunities for transformational progress in biomimetic materials design.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 28, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501710296
Entities
People
- Qian Chen
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign