Lipid Dip-Pen Nanolithography for Model Bio-Membrane Systems

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry will support the collaborative research program of Prof. Mirkin of Northwestern University and Prof. Harald Fuchs of the University of Munster, Germany. This award coordinates with a collaborative award funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through a joint program between the NSF and DFG that jointly funds collaborative projects between US and German investigators. The purpose of this collaborative project is to develop the method of Lipid Dip-Pen Nanolithography (L-DPN) for the fabrication of phospholipid membranes capable of mimicking cellular functions in vitro. The expertise of the Mirkin group in surface biochemistry, DPN and microfabrication will be combined with the Fuchs group expertise in scanning probe microscopy, self organized systems and nano-scale analytics. There is growing evidence that the various properties of biological membranes strongly depend on both two- and three-dimensional heterogeneities. Therefore, it would be useful for modeling cellular functions to have multi-component membrane arrays with ultra-high lateral resolution in which 2 and 3 dimensional interaction can be controlled. Current methods for generating fluid and mechanically stable membrane arrays on surfaces are not optimum for patterning lipids on substrates for reconstitution of proteins. Additionally, encapsulation of materials into supported lipid multilayers at an appropriate scale or with several chemical components remains a significant challenge. DPN is the only currently available technology that may be capable of overcoming these obstacles. L-DPN fabricated patterns will be characterized as a function of the lipid ink composition, substrate chemistry, and environmental conditions in order to determine suitable feature sizes for studying interactions of biological molecules, the supramolecular structures of lipid patterns, and materials which are amenable to integration with phospholipid inks. Once fully developed, these tools will allow biologists, chemists, and others to study biological and chemical interactions at a fundamental level. The project will provide excellent training opportunities to students in a highly multi-disciplinary area, which will include international research experience in Germany and for German students in the US. The award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering at NSF.