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Membranes
Special Issues
Biological and Biomimetic Membranes: New Materials and Emerging Processes
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Biological and Biomimetic Membranes: New Materials and Emerging Processes

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018)

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Claus Hélix-Nielsen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, room 140, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: biomimetic membranes; membrane transport; membrane channel and transporter proteins; lipid–protein interactions, electrophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last decade has witnessed a rapid increase in new membrane materials and processes research and development. If the last century witnessed productive synergy between physics/chemistry and engineering – this century is likely to witness novel technology development driven by synergy between biology and engineering. Successful advances will be based on atomistic insights gained from fundamental studies of molecular structure and function of biomolecules as well as process developments based on integrated detailed knowledge about biological tissue and organ function.

A particularly promising area is research within membrane materials and membrane processes where new technologies are inspired directly and indirectly from the natural membrane realm. Biological membranes are capable of intricate transport of water, solutes, and gasses across thin bimolecular films and can serve as an inspirational showcase for designing tailored permeability properties in polymeric matrixes. One manifestation of this in membrane material developments is based on using additives – either in the form of natural proteins or artificially made molecules with desired sensing and separation properties – to the polymeric matrix. Another manifestation is based on de novo design of membrane functionalities with cues taken from one or more specific biological molecular structures. Also process functionalities have biological correlates: for example in the nephron, ultrafiltration occurs at the barrier between the blood and the filtrate in the glomerular capsule and forward osmosis occurs in water reabsorption from the tubular fluids.

The aim with this Special Issue is to deliver insights in the recent advances in membrane designs and applications within biology, biotechnology, biomimetics, and biomedical areas. We look forward to receive submissions describing original research or focused reviews related to design, materials, synthesis methods, and process developments.

Prof. Dr. Claus Hélix-Nielsen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomimetics
  • membrane proteins
  • selective permeability
  • biomolecular sensing
  • de novo functional membrane design
  • passive and active transport

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1059 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Detergent-Mediated Reconstitution of Influenza A M2 Protein into Proteoliposomes
by Catherine H. Crouch, Margaret H. Bost, Tae H. Kim, Bryan M. Green, D. Stuart Arbuckle, Carl H. Grossman and Kathleen P. Howard
Membranes 2018, 8(4), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040103 - 08 Nov 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4013
Abstract
We report the optimization of detergent-mediated reconstitution of an integral membrane-bound protein, full-length influenza M2 protein, by direct insertion into detergent-saturated liposomes. Detergent-mediated reconstitution is an important method for preparing proteoliposomes for studying membrane proteins, and must be optimized for each combination of [...] Read more.
We report the optimization of detergent-mediated reconstitution of an integral membrane-bound protein, full-length influenza M2 protein, by direct insertion into detergent-saturated liposomes. Detergent-mediated reconstitution is an important method for preparing proteoliposomes for studying membrane proteins, and must be optimized for each combination of protein and membrane constituents used. The purpose of the reconstitution was to prepare samples for site-directed spin-labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL-EPR) studies. Our goals in optimizing the protocol were to minimize the amount of detergent used, reduce overall proteoliposome preparation time, and confirm the removal of all detergent. The liposomes were comprised of (1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (POPG), and the detergent octylglucoside (OG) was used for reconstitution. Rigorous physical characterization was applied to optimize each step of the reconstitution process. We used dynamic light scattering (DLS) to determine the amount of OG needed to saturate the preformed liposomes. During detergent removal by absorption with Bio-Beads, we quantified the detergent concentration by means of a colorimetric assay, thereby determining the number of Bio-Bead additions needed to remove all detergent from the final proteoliposomes. We found that the overnight Bio-Bead incubation used in previously published protocols can be omitted, reducing the time needed for reconstitution. We also monitored the size distribution of the proteoliposomes with DLS, confirming that the size distribution remains essentially constant throughout the reconstitution process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Biomimetic Membranes: New Materials and Emerging Processes)
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Review

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16 pages, 1093 KiB  
Review
Biomimetic Membranes as a Technology Platform: Challenges and Opportunities
by Claus Hélix-Nielsen
Membranes 2018, 8(3), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8030044 - 17 Jul 2018
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5660
Abstract
Biomimetic membranes are attracting increased attention due to the huge potential of using biological functional components and processes as an inspirational basis for technology development. Indeed, this has led to several new membrane designs and applications. However, there are still a number of [...] Read more.
Biomimetic membranes are attracting increased attention due to the huge potential of using biological functional components and processes as an inspirational basis for technology development. Indeed, this has led to several new membrane designs and applications. However, there are still a number of issues which need attention. Here, I will discuss three examples of biomimetic membrane developments within the areas of water treatment, energy conversion, and biomedicine with a focus on challenges and applicability. While the water treatment area has witnessed some progress in developing biomimetic membranes of which some are now commercially available, other areas are still far from being translated into technology. For energy conversion, there has been much focus on using bacteriorhodopsin proteins, but energy densities have so far not reached sufficient levels to be competitive with state-of-the-art photovoltaic cells. For biomedical (e.g., drug delivery) applications the research focus has been on the mechanism of action, and much less on the delivery ‘per se’. Thus, in order for these areas to move forward, we need to address some hard questions: is bacteriorhodopsin really the optimal light harvester to be used in energy conversion? And how do we ensure that biomedical nano-carriers covered with biomimetic membrane material ever reach their target cells/tissue in sufficient quantities? In addition to these area-specific questions the general issue of production cost and scalability must also be treated in order to ensure efficient translation of biomimetic membrane concepts into reality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Biomimetic Membranes: New Materials and Emerging Processes)
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