{"392721":{"#nid":"392721","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Assembling functional membrane proteins with the physics of surfactants\u0022","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch6\u003ESchool of Physics Soft Condensed Matter \u0026amp; Biophysics Seminar: Prof. Peter Yunker, Georgia Tech School of Physics \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingle-span membrane proteins (ssMPs) are anchored by single hydrophobic helices to cell surfaces, where they mediate cell-cell communications. Unfortunately, hydrophobic helices also cause aggregation in solution, rendering ssMPs non-functional. We discovered that in vitro newly synthesized ssMPs insert hydrophobic helices into oil drops, thus preventing aggregation, and promoting assembly of functional structures on the drop\u2019s surface. We use this approach to synthesize and display apoptosis-inducing ssMPs and show that these \u0022death drops\u0022 are functional, and can kill cultured cancer cells. Our results illustrate a one-pot method for rapid synthesis and assembly of functional ssMPs, which is facilitated by the hydrophobic interaction, rather than limited by it. Such functionalized oil drops also represent a new platform to communicate with cells.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assembling functional membrane proteins with the physics of surfactants\u0022"}],"uid":"27664","created_gmt":"2015-04-01 11:47:57","changed_gmt":"2017-04-13 21:19:35","author":"Alison Morain","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2015-04-21T16:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2015-04-21T17:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2015-04-21T17:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2015-04-21 20:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2015-04-21 21:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2015-04-21 21:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"123131","name":"Assembling functional membrane proteins with the physics of surfactants"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"},{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:alison.morain@physics.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ealison.morain@physics.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}