Electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy can provide structural information on the surface of a membrane and spectroscopic techniques tell us about the structure and dynamics i integral membrane proteins. However none of these techniques relate to what is happenmg in the 5 to 6 nm thick layer under the surface of the membrane. Only reflection methods can provide information about the distribution of materials on the axis perpendicular to the membrane surface (the z-axis). Neutron scattering can discriminate between hydrogen and its isotope deuterium, making neutron reflection a powerfiil tool for dissecting how lipid, protein and solvent relate to one another along the z-axis and providing a method in which certain components can be highhghted or made invisible by choosing the correct solvent contrast. This data helped in the design of new antibody-binding biosensors that have a greater efficiency for antibody binding and greater stability for transportation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:500907 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Pierre Le Brun, Anton |
| Publisher | University of Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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