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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
High-Throughput Functional System For Encapsulated Networks Of Model Cell Membranes, Mary-Anne Kim Anh Nguyen
High-Throughput Functional System For Encapsulated Networks Of Model Cell Membranes, Mary-Anne Kim Anh Nguyen
Doctoral Dissertations
Synthetic lipid bilayers provide models of cell membranes to study biomolecular interactions and signal transduction. The droplet interface bilayer (DIB) is a highly versatile technique for assembling planar lipid membranes between water droplets in oil. The DIB method thus provides a unique capability for developing digital, droplet-based membrane platforms for rapid membrane characterization, drug screening and ion channel recordings. In this work, a new microfluidic system is presented that automates droplet generation, sorting, and sequential trapping in designated locations to enable rapid assembly of arrays of DIBs along with in situ electrical measurements. This platform provides repeatable processes for forming …
Characterization And Manipulation Of Lipid Self-Assembly To Construct Stable, Portable Synthetic Lipid Bilayers, Guru Anand Venkatesan
Characterization And Manipulation Of Lipid Self-Assembly To Construct Stable, Portable Synthetic Lipid Bilayers, Guru Anand Venkatesan
Doctoral Dissertations
The overarching goal of this research work is to further our understanding of lipid self-assembly and its organization at an oil-water interface to support the development of synthetic lipid bilayer systems that can be used in biologically relevant fields such as membrane biophysics, protein electrophysiology, development of synthetic biomolecules, drugs, nanoparticles and other applications. Self-assembly kinetics and interfacial properties of lipid monolayers formed at a liquid-air and liquid-liquid interface are characterized using Langmuir-Blodgett trough and pendant drop tensiometer. Insights gained from these studies not only allow us to answer questions related to droplet interface bilayer (DIB; a promising technique to …