NIRT: Probing Viral Adhesion with Nanoengineered Biomembranes and Quantum Dots

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) award to University of California Davis is supported by Divisions of Chemistry (MPS), Biological Infrastructure (BIO) and International Office (SBE), and this proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 01-157). With this award, Professor Gervay-Hague and her team will study viral adhesion and infection that are mediated through the binding of viral proteins to cellular ligands. In many cases, the ligands are presented in a multimeric form, which gives rise to polyvalent interactions with viral proteins, and much less is understood about the molecular basis these polyvalent interactions. Nanotechnology and bioimaging spectroscopies will be used to study protein-ligand interactions systematically at a molecular level with this award. Using a combination of nanofabrication, lipid bilayer engineering and nanoparticle functionalization, carefully designed ligand arrays and local bio-environments will be constructed. Protein recognition of these molecular architectures will be investigated to determine the binding strength, stoichiometry, cooperativity, and kinetics of adhesion to develop an understanding of the mechanism of viral adhesion to host-cells. A knowledge developed from these studies has larger applications toward the detection and deactivation of viruses in the environment. In addition, these studies at the interface of chemistry, nanotechnology and biology will provide students with opportunities in research and training in many interdisciplinary fields. With this award, a team of research scientists with expertise in organic, inorganic, and analytical chemistry, as well as chemical engineering and immunology will study the mechanism of viral adhesion to host-cells. These adhesion interactions have the dimensions of nanometers and it may be possible to regulate viral adhesion to surfaces that have been engineered to mimic the native state of host cells. Introduction of viral proteins to these nanoplatforms and monitoring of the binding process using microscopy and spectroscopy will help elucidate the mechanism of viral adhesion to surfaces, which may ultimately lead to novel strategies for detecting and deactivating viruses in the environment. Students, postdoctoral associates, and co-workers will greatly benefit from this multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving in the area of nanoscale biosystems.