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Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Biological Membranes In The Presence Of Cryoprotectants, Dinesh Pinisetty

LSU Master's Theses

Cryopreservation is a process that is characterized by the transport of water and cryoprotectants through the cell membrane. This phenomenon has been studied in extensive detail at the macroscopic (µm) scale but in a somewhat more limited fashion at the microscopic (nm) scale. In this study we develop several lipid bilayer models to approximate a cell membrane (nm) and present the effect of several different cryoprotectants on the structural characteristics of these lipid bilayers using molecular dynamic simulations. The lipid bilayer models included dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and palmitoyleylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) while the cryoprotectants included methanol and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The molecular …