Atomic membrane development

Concurrently in the U.S., membrane development efforts were sponsored and initiated by the Atomic Energy Commission for gaseous diffusion. Large scale plants were built at Oak Ridge (Tennessee) and subsequently at Paducah (Kentucky) and Portsmouth (Ohio) in the early 1950s with a total capacity of approximately 150 t/d processed. The confidential membranes are believed to be made of nickel and high-nickel alloys but other membrane materials possibly have also been considered. 

The development of efficient algorithms and the sophisticated description of long-range electrostatic effects allow calculations on systems with 100 000 atoms and more, which address biochemical problems like membrane-bound protein complexes or the action of molecular machines . 

This chapter has given an overview of the structure and dynamics of lipid and water molecules in membrane systems, viewed with atomic resolution by molecular dynamics simulations of fully hydrated phospholipid bilayers. The calculations have permitted a detailed picture of the solvation of the lipid polar groups to be developed, and this picture has been used to elucidate the molecular origins of the dipole potential. The solvation structure has been discussed in terms of a somewhat arbitrary, but useful, definition of bound and bulk water molecules. 

The only feasible procedure at the moment is molecular dynamics computer simulation, which can be used since most systems are currently essentially controlled by classical dynamics even though the intermolecular potentials are often quantum mechanical in origin. There are indeed many intermolecular potentials available which are remarkably reliable for most liquids, and even for liquid mixtures, of scientific and technical importance. However potentials for the design of membranes and of the interaction of fluid molecules with membranes on the atomic scale are less well developed. 

There is still great scope then for the design of more realistic membranes and for the development of more realistic atomic potentials... 

Basic concepts and the methods for determining DD sites in lipid bilayer membranes have been developed by NMR on the atomic site level. Lipid bilayer interfaces as delivery sites can be specified by taking advantage of the site selectivity of NMR. DD sites can be generally classified into the three categories in Fig. 6. The distinction is based on the difference in the micropolarity in membranes around the drug. It has been briefly mentioned how to evaluate dynamic properties of drugs in membranes. 

From the atomic to the macroscopic level chirality is a characteristic feature of biological systems and plays an important role in the interplay of structure and function. Originating from small chiral precursors complex macromolecules such as proteins or DNA have developed during evolution. On a supramolecular level chirality is expressed in molecular organization, e.g. in the secondary and tertiary structure of proteins, in membranes, cells or tissues. On a macroscopic level, it appears in the chirality of our hands or in the asymmetric arrangement of our organs, or in the helicity of snail shells. Nature usually displays a preference for one sense of chirality over the other. This leads to specific interactions called chiral recognition. 

Chen et al. (2007) have developed a nanoinjector that injects compounds immobilized on MWNT-atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips into the cells. First, a MWNT-AFM tip was fabricated from a normal AFM tip with an MWNT on one end. Next, a compound of interest was immobilized on the MWNT-AFM tip through a disulfide bond linkage. After MWNT-AFM tip was tapped on the cell, the cantilever was further lowered and the MWNT nanoneedle then penetrated the membrane. Once inside the cell, the disulfide linkage was broken under the cells reducing environment and the compound of interest was released inside the cell. The MWNT-AFM tip was then removed from the cell. In this study, protein was... 

Using N-terminus modified polylysine, we developed a synthesis for an amphiphilic polychelator, A,a-(DTPA-polylysyl)glutaryl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DTPA-PL-NGPE). This polychelator was incorporated into the liposomal membrane and micelle core during liposome or micelle preparation. This system sharply increased the number of chelated Gd atoms attached to a single lipid anchor. This increased the number of bound reporter metal atoms per vesicle and decreased the dosage of an administered... 

Other applications of supported liquid membranes have been related to metal speciation. For example, recently a system for chromium speciation has been developed based on the selective extraction and enrichment of anionic Cr(VI) and cationic Cr(III) species in two SLM units connected in series. Aliquat 336 and DEHPA were used respectively as carriers for the two species and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry used for final metal determination. With this process, it was possible to determine chromium in its different oxidation states [103]. 

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