Molecular Insights into small molecule anhydro- and cryo- protectants
Vendredi 10 mars 2017 10:00
- Duree : 1 heure
Lieu : Science Building seminar room SB036, ILL - 71 avenue des Martyrs - Grenoble
Orateur : Chris GARVEY (Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australia)
As cells are frozen or dried, dehydration and slow freezing are mechanistically equivalent, they undergo a volumetric contraction, which bring intra- and inter- cellular membranes into close contact. Such changes in cell hydration, and the subsequent volumetric contraction, are associated with deleterious phase transitions of membrane lipids, which alter the intrinsic and necessary transport properties of the membrane and may lead to irreversible damage to cells. Small molecules such as sugars, in particular, trehalose and sucrose, are often associated with cryo- and anhydro- biology to protect cells. Model systems have been developed to examine these effects. Here we discuss the use of SANS and SAXS to quantify the effects of sugar molecules in model lipid systems and neutron diffraction to directly probe the interaction of sugar molecules with stacked bilayers. The results provide an interesting contradiction to well cited molecular dynamics simulations examining the interactions between sugars and bilayers. Our current efforts focus on the reasons for this discrepancy. We have also begun to examine the use of other small molecules in the cryobanking for recalcitrant-seeded Australian rainforest plants. The aim is to use the insight gained from our model systems to design preservation strategies for reforestation after mining. The methodology puts molecular insights gained from neutron and x-ray scattering into an unusual industrial context, the efforts of large mining concerns to remediate environmental damage.
Contact : martela@ill.fr
Discipline évènement : (Physique)
Entité organisatrice : (ILL)
Nature évènement : (Séminaire)
Evènement répétitif : (General ILL Seminar - College 8)
Site de l'évènement : Polygone scientifique
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