Nonspecific adsorption of protein to interfaces is pervasive in nature and has both
positive and negative consequences which are of interest to scientists and engineers.
Previous studies on protein adsorption have indicated that adsorption is driven by a
complex set of subprocesses rather than a single effect, and that the overall process is
usually irreversible as verified by the lack of traceability between the ascending isotherm
(increasing bulk protein concentration) and the descending isotherm (decreasing bulk
protein concentration). These irreversible energetic effects have been neglected in
current models describing protein adsorption which are entirely based on reversible
thermodynamics.
The objective of this thesis is to develop a thermodynamic framework describing the
energies associated with nonspecific adsorption of protein to a liquid/solid interface,
incorporating both the apparently reversible (quasi-equilibrium) and irreversible
components of the process. To demonstrate the theory, a model system was chosen: the
adsorption of hen egg-white lysozyme, to particulate silica in 50-rnM KC1 at pH 7 and
37°C.
Isothermal titration calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and isotherm
measurements are combined with our thermodynamic framework and a theory by Everett
to show that two major subprocesses, restructuring of the protein upon adsorption and
formation of multiple contacts between the protein and sorbent surface, are the major
contributors to the irreversibility of the process. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/5969 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Liu, Susan Marisa |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 6691895 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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