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My complete response to the TB discussion started on 9.11.2007 in the Kansas State Collegian - What's the Matter with Tuberculosis.pdf (click to read)
Research Overview
My research projects explore the unique physical and chemical properties of
channel proteins (porins) isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis (MspA) and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is noteworthy that tuberculosis is the infectious
disease with the highest number of casualties worldwide. Due to the steadily
developing resistance against most of the antibiotics employed for the treatment
of tuberculosis, new strategies for the delivery of drugs are urgently needed.
MspA-Nanopore as seen by Electron Micrography
My research in this area will be concerned with:
• The understanding of the working principles of porin channels in natural
(membrane) and artificial (electrodes) environments.
• The use of porins as tools for the developments of functional nanostructures.
• The development of a transport vector through the mycobacterial membrane.
• The use of water-soluble, hydrophobic copolymers as artificial matrices
for MspA.
• And finally: the development of supramolecular model systems, which serve
as physical models for the biological function of the porin systems.
Molecular Machines
Molecular Machines
The distinct chemical stability and geometric dimensions of the porin from
Mycobacterium smegmatis (MspA) make it the ideal bio-component of supramolecular
transistors and machines. Principally, various systems can be built, using
the requirements of future applications. The development of supramolecular
and molecular assemblies using MspA as a vital component will make use of
MspA-mutants possessing cysteine-units at defined positions. The connection
between the MspA-mutant with nano-gold-particles will be achieved by means
of the chemical reaction of the thiol-groups from the four cysteine units
with the gold surface. The hydrophilic interior of the canal favors the binding
of mechanically linked ruthenium-polypyridyl-bis-viologen-cathenanes within
the porin structure.
MspA-Nanochannels on MICA as detected by AFM
Selected Publications
Hu, Y.-Z.; Bossmann, S. H.; Loyen, D. v.;
Schwarz, O.; Dürr,
H.; Huch, V.; Veith, M. A Novel 2,2 -Bipyridine[2]catenane and
its Ruthenium Complex: Synthesis, Structure and Intramolecular
Electron Transfer, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 5822-5823.
Niederweis, M., Heinz, Ch.; Janik, K.; Bossmann, S. H. Nanostructuring
by Deposition of Protein Channels Formed on Carbon Surfaces, Nano
Letters 2002, 2, 1206-1210.
Bossmann, S. H.; Janik, K.; Pokhrel, M. R.; Heinz,
C.; Niederweis, M. Reconstitution of the Porin from Mycobacterium
smegmatis at HOPG Covered with Hydrophobic Host Layers, Surf. Interface
Anal. 2004, 36, 127-134.
Hong Kong Symposium in Honour of Prof. Po Lock Yue |
