Dresden 2017 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 38: Membranes and Vesicles I
BP 38.5: Talk
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 10:45–11:00, HÜL 386
Pure Protein Bilayers and Vesicles from Native Fungal Hydrophobins — Hendrik Hähl1, Jose Nabor Vargas1, Alessandra Griffo2, Päivi Laaksonen2, Géza Szilvay3, Michael Lienemann3, Karin Jacobs1, Ralf Seemann1, and •Jean-Baptiste Fleury1 — 1Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany — 2Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland — 3VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 02150 Espoo, Finland
In this study, a microfluidic approach to generate free-standing, protein bilayers and protein vesicles is presented, which are composed solely of the hydrophobin HFBI, which is a small, amphiphilic protein produced by filamentous fungi. The amphiphilicity of the proteins allows them to self-assemble at any hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface in very stable monolayers. These monolayers are used to generate free-standing bilayers. Employing different fluids in a microfluidic setup, the stability of bilayers in both possible orientations (i.e in the hydrophilic or hydrophobic contact situation) is demonstrated. This allows the creation of hydrophobin membranes between either aqueous, oily, or gaseous compartments. These membranes are then used to produce aqueous, oily or gaseous hydrophobin vesicles by means of the microfluidic jetting technique. The resulting lipid-free vesicles are the first example of vesicles only composed of proteins. With the insertion of functioning gramicidin pores, the foundation for employing these vesicles as a new experimental class of encapsulating platform in synthetic biology is laid.
Advanced Materials 2016 (online version: 10.1002/adma.201602888)