About the project
The Sorkin Lab has extensive experience in studying membrane remodelling processes using mechanical single-molecule techniques. In this project, we aim to reveal the effect of membrane composition and membrane phase separation on condensate formation by AFM imaging and force spectroscopy, characterizing the sub-saturated phase and condensate nucleation steps. The effects of membrane tension on condensate association will be tested by stretching supported membranes or inducing area changes by photo-sensitive lipids. This research will elucidate the effects of membrane tension and composition on condensate formation and association, with findings expected to enhance our understanding of condensate-membrane interactions in both synthetic systems and cellular models, potentially providing new methods for targeting condensates to specific membrane locations.
The project will involve secondments at CSIC (Rivas Group) to learn about protein condensate preparation, and at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces (Dimova Group) to learn about preparation of asymmetric membranes with photo-responsive lipids.
Selected References
- Transmembrane Proteins Tetraspanin 4 and CD9 Sense Membrane Curvature, Dharan, R., Goren, S., Cheppali, S. K., Shendrik, P., Brand, G., Vaknin, A., Yu, L., Kozlov, M. M., Sorkin, R., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (2022), 119,43, e2208993119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2208993119
- Membrane Tension Inhibits Lipid Mixing by Increasing the Hemifusion Stalk Energy Shendrik P., Golani G., Dharan R., Schwarz U. S., and Sorkin R., ACS Nano, 17, 19, 18942–18951, (2023), https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c04293
- Extracellular domain 2 of TSPAN4 governs its functions, Dharan R., Vaknin A., Sorkin R., Biophysical Reports, 4 (2), 100149, 2024, (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpr.2024.100149
Doctoral Candidate: Debasish Rout
Debasish completed his Master’s degree in Chemistry from Sambalpur University, India. His Master’s thesis centered on utilizing NMR spectroscopy for the analysis of organic molecules.
Prior to joining the ComeInCell project, Debasish worked on a project as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Berhampur, where he investigated fluctuations in single-molecule biophysical processes. He also worked at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur, where he explored Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs binding to partially unfolded BSA protein in the presence of organized assemblies of cationic (CTAB) and anionic (SDS) micelles.
