Membrane protein extraction with microfluidics systems

CHED 63

Naresh Menon1, Greg Zeltser2, Frank A Gomez, cufomadu@yahoo.com3, Menake E. Piyasena, merandy9@yahoo.com3, and Mark David Goldberg4. (1) Director of Biotechnology, Physical Optics Corporation, 20600 Gramercy Place, Bldg 100, Torrance, CA 90501-1821, (2) Biotechnology, Physical Optics Corporation, 20600 Gramercy Place, Bldg 100, Torrance, CA 90501-1821, (3) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8202, (4) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Los Angeles, 5155 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
Proteins are the cornerstone of all cellular activity. Depending on their structure and function, various proteins provide a cell with its structure, act as enzymes that enable cell activity, regulate activities such as gene expression and are responsible for transport of molecules across the cell membrane. Understanding protein function is a complex, multidisciplinary, global effort and discoveries in this area promises, among other things, new medications and therapies – from cancer to Alzheimer's. Studying and understanding transport proteins are key to drug-discovery R&D – specifically how drug compounds are absorbed by specific targeted cells and are blocked by others. Isolating and sollubalizing the transmembrane protein has been a major challenge because of their bound state within a cell membrane and their intrinsic hydrophobic nature. Physical Optics Corporation, funded by the Department of Energy – Genomes to Life Program, is working on a novel microfluidic method to extract transmembrane proteins from any cell. We report on our recent progress.
 

NSF Partnership for Research and Education in Materials
1:30 PM-4:40 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 San Francisco Marriott -- Salon 11, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006