Berlin 2005 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 100: Poster Session I

AKB 100.48: Poster

Saturday, March 5, 2005, 16:45–18:45, Poster TU D

Protein adsorption on structured substrates — •Hubert Mantz, Anthony Quinn, Armin Nagel, and Karin Jacobs — FR 7.2 Experimental Physics - Soft Matter, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrücken

The ability of proteins to adsorb to almost all surfaces, plays a crucial role in both natural and synthetic processes, and can have unwanted but also desirable medical effects. In the oral cavity, for example, a protein film called pellicle, protects the integrity of oral hard tissues. Some of the adsorbed proteins subsequently facilitate bacterial adsorption and plaque growth as well.

The adsorption behaviour of proteins to surfaces depends on many factors, including the surface physicochemical properties. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thiols on gold are ideal for probing such interactions, because they are highly-ordered and their surface characteristics can be modified over a wide range (e.g. surface free energy). By patterning the surfaces, critical spatial dimensions for protein adsorption can be found.

This project aims to study the adsorption kinetics of different proteins in situ by using a SPR (surface plasmon resonance) measurement technique combined with ellipsometry, which has some advantages over the traditional approach. By that, more insight in the mechanisms of biofilm adsorption at solid/liquid interfaces shall be gained to control the adsorption of specific proteins, e.g. in the oral cavity. Offering the pellicle a substrate that allows adsorption only to certain proteins would be useful to prevent oral diseases.