NanoBioScience
Institute
NBEC - Major
Research Groups
Cellular
Secretion & Membrane Fusion
(Group Leader: Dr. B. P. Jena).
Understanding cellular secretion and membrane fusion at the nano and femto scale
is critical since important cellular events such as ER-Golgi transport in
protein maturation, plasma membrane recycling, cell division, sexual
reproduction and the release of enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters all
require fusion of opposing bilayers. Understanding cellular secretion and
membrane fusion will help in amelioration of secretory defects, provide insight
into our understanding of cellular entry and exit of viruses, cancer, diabetes,
and in the development of smart drugs and drug delivery systems to treat these
diseases. Thus the role of secretion and membrane fusion in health and disease
is profound. Our studies in the past several years, has enabled the i)
Discovery of the ‘porosome’, the secretory machinery at the cell plasma
membrane, where membrane-bound secretory vesicles dock and fuse to release
intravesicular contents. This discovery has helped in ii) Elucidation of the
molecular mechanism of SNARE-protein induced membrane fusion, and helped in iii)
Understanding the molecular regulation of secretory vesicle swelling, an
important cellular event involved in the expulsion of vesicular contents.
Further understanding of cellular secretion and membrane fusion at the nano and
femto scale will be performed at the center, which will provide for a better
understanding of these processes at the single molecule level. Already, work in
the area has resulted in the development of targeted nano particle drug delivery
system. Similarly, understanding the molecular regulation of secretory vesicle
swelling has enabled purification of water at the single molecule level
(provisional patent) which can for example, be utilized during long space
flights. These new applications are just the beginning of the potential
benefits that could be harnessed from studies in the area.
Results from our investigation of cellular secretion
and membrane fusion, and biomolecular mechanics will also be applied to the
development of bio-sensors for both research and biomedical applications.
Therefore, the other integrated research activities within this group will be 1)
molecular mechanics, 2) development of nano and femto instrumentation for
bioengineering research investigations, and 3) new technological developments
for medical applications. There will be emphasis on projects that may be risky
but have great potential in elucidating fundamental questions in biology as well
as in new technological development and application.
The position and dynamics of
individual molecules in lipid film can be examined with single molecule
precision using the STM. Results from such molecular studies at the center have
enabled better understanding of biological systems and for the development of
molecular electronics. These investigations have led to the development of a
project with Prof. J.K.H. Hoerber’s group in the UK on doing chemistry with
femtosecond laser pulses on nanometer sized structures. The scientific goal of
this project is to investigate the coupling between metals or semiconductors and
organic molecules, allowing better understanding of energy and electron transfer
between molecules and nano-structured conductors. This is just an example of
the potential of this project to design and development of a new technology.
Updated:
08/02/2011