Proteins in lipid membranes are one of the fundamental building blocks of biological functionality. Lawrence Livermore researchers have figured out how to mimic their role using carbon nanotube porins.
Using high-speed, atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), the team showed that a new type of biomimetic channel — carbon nanotube porins (CNTPs) — also is laterally mobile in supported lipid membranes, mirroring biological protein behavior.
The research opens the door to use CNTPs as models to study membrane protein physics, as well as versatile and mobile components for artificial cells and hybrid systems that combine biological cells and man-made components.
Lipid membranes represent one the fundamental components of the architecture of life because they provide a versatile matrix for a variety of membrane proteins that can perform a variety of tasks including molecular recognition and signal transduction, metabolite transport and membrane remodeling.
The 2D fluid nature of the lipid membrane not only allows it to adapt to a variety of shapes, but also permits membrane proteins to diffuse within this 2D plane, enabling many important biological processes.
“To understand the fundamental physics of protein motion in the lipid membrane, we needed an approach that would combine simple and robust membrane protein models with imaging and tracking approaches that can follow membrane motion on the relevant length and time scales,” said Yuliang Zhang, an LLNL postdoctoral researcher and lead author of a paper in the journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
The team created simple and versatile artificial membrane pore equivalents — CNTPs —that are made of short segments of single-wall carbon nanotubes that can self-insert into the lipid membrane and form a transmembrane pore. These very simple objects show a wealth of behaviors similar to membrane protein pores: they can transport water, ions and protons across the membrane.
“We found that the CNTPS were able to reproduce another key property of membrane proteins — their ability to diffuse in the lipid membrane,” said Alex Noy, LLNL scientist and the principal investigator on the CNTP project. “High-speed AFM imaging can capture real-time dynamics of CNTP motion in the supported lipid bi-layer membrane.”
Zhang said the study demonstrates that the similarities between CNTPs and biological membrane pores include not only similar transport properties, but also the ability to move laterally in the membrane.
Learn more: Carbon nanotubes mimic biology
The Latest on: Carbon nanotube porins
[google_news title=”” keyword=”carbon nanotube porins” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Carbon nanotube porins
- 2022 Carbon Credits Landscapeon March 27, 2024 at 3:38 pm
Carbon credit markets have grown in recent years, but there is still much debate over how effective they are at reducing emissions. Our 2022 report evaluates pricing trends and the potential of ...
- The best carbon fiber running shoes 2024on March 27, 2024 at 4:30 am
Investing in a set of the best carbon fiber running shoes can help boost your speed, especially on race day. These shoes are designed to return more energy during your run, making them ideal for ...
- Carbon Marketson March 26, 2024 at 2:25 pm
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial ...
- How much carbon have we got left?on March 25, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Scientists have found new way to to answer the question: how much carbon have we got left before we pass the Paris limits? Our study clarifies the climate problem that needs to be solved, and we hope ...
- 2D ‘Antenna’ Helps Generate Light in Carbon Nanotubeson March 25, 2024 at 10:55 am
Carbon nanotubes can glow brilliantly when light is absorbed by a flat sheet of atoms acting as an antenna to direct that energy into the tubes.
- How 2 companies are approaching carbon captureon March 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm
As the Biden administration is committing nearly $4 billion toward jumpstarting a new carbon capture industry in the U.S., CBS News was given an inside look at two companies taking different ...
- Revolutionary Carbon Nanotube Sheet Recyclabilityon March 19, 2024 at 9:16 am
High-performance carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets can be recycled while maintaining their shape, structural alignment, mechanical and electrical capabilities, and inherent flexibility, according to ground ...
- Researchers demonstrate breakthrough recyclability of carbon nanotube sheetson March 18, 2024 at 7:23 am
Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have demonstrated for the first time the recyclability of high-performance carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets while maintaining their essential mechanical and ...
- Carbon Markets Test the Limits of Voluntary Actionon March 6, 2024 at 2:00 am
The limits of voluntary climate action are evident everywhere you look. Every day it seems there’s another company scaling back its sustainability ambitions or another investment firm pulling ...
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 Reviewon February 29, 2024 at 8:26 am
Like past models, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a 14-inch business slimline crafted from magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber. The matte black finish is now accented by a rounded ...
via Bing News