FOR 1145:  Structure Formation of Synthetic Polyphilic Molecules with Lipid Membranes

• Subject Area: Chemistry
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 80053741

The Research Unit is focussed on the synthesis of polyphilic molecules, which are capable of forming specific interactions with lipid membranes leading to self-organising structures. The term “polyphilic” means that these synthetic molecules possess additional structural motives besides the well-known hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties. For instance, these can be liquid-crystalline segments, selective or complementary structural motives, as well as covalently bound nanoparticles of fluorophilic segments. Because of their polyphilic properties, it can be expected that these molecules show strong interactions with phopholipid membranes. As a consequence, stabilisation or destabilisation of the membrane might occur.
The molecules, which will be synthesised, are of low molecular weight, but also polyphilic macromolecules will be synthesised, which have hydrophilic, lipophilic, fluorophilic and other self-associating moieties in specific positions in the molecule. These molecules should then form higher order assemblies on the surface or in the hydrophobic part of the membranes. These can serve as models for protein associations in membranes with specific functions. The polyphilic molecules can also be used for forming controlled pores or channel structures in membranes.
The aim of the Research Unit is to study the interaction and the formation of superstructures of newly synthesised polyphilic molecules by themselves and with differently prepared phospholipid membranes. These studies will be performed using a variety of physico-chemical techniques. A further goal is to use the membrane surface as a template for structure formation of polyphilic molecules.
The studies are intended to find general principles for structure formation of polyphilic molecules on and in membranes. Knowing these it might then be possible to find molecules for potential pharmaceutical or medical application and in the field of science of soft materials.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: United Kingdom

Projects

• Koordination der Forschungsgruppe 1145 (Applicant Kreßler, Jörg )
• Mikroskopische Untersuchung und Funktionalisierung von Hybridmembranen aus Phospholipiden und synthetischen Polyphilen (Applicant Bacia, Kirsten )
• NMR-spektroskopische Untersuchungen der membranmodifizierenden Eigenschaften polyphiler Moleküle: Struktur und Lipiddynamik (Applicant Saalwächter, Kay )
• Numerische Modellierung von Struktur und Eigenschaften polyphiler Moleküle in Lipidmembranen (Applicant Sebastiani, Daniel )
• Polyphile Moleküle mit membranmodifizierenden Eigenschaften (Applicant Tschierske, Carsten )
• Selbstorganisation von Nanopartikeln an der Grenzfläche von gemischten Lipid/Polymer-Membranen und Polymersomen (Applicant Binder, Wolfgang )
• Taktizität, Helikalität und Chiralität von triphilen Blockcopolymeren und deren Strukturbildung an und in Modellmembranen (Applicant Kreßler, Jörg )
• Wechselwirkungen von polyphilen Molekülen mit Lipidmonolayern und Lipidvesikeln (Applicant Blume, Alfred )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Jörg Kreßler
• Deputy: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Binder