About the project
This project focuses on synthetic peptide scaffolds and their ability to form functional protofilaments under confined conditions. By leveraging self-assembling peptide amphiphiles, the research aims to explore the behaviors induced by confinement, such as substance uptake, compartment deformation, and coalescence. The project will meticulously modulate the hydrophobicity of peptide amphiphiles to optimize their interaction with lipid/polymer membranes, studying the implications of fibrillation triggered by external factors like pH or salt concentration.
Expected outcomes include characterizing partition coefficients of peptide amphiphiles in various condensates and vesicles, investigating emergent properties of self-assembling fibers, and applying these fibrillating synthetic cells to modulate biological functions such as uptake, release, localization, and cytotoxicity. The ultimate goal is to harness these interactions for applications in membrane repair and targeted drug delivery.
The project will include potential secondments at the University of Surrey (USu, Guido Group) for training in biopolymers and microfluidics, Tel Aviv University (TAU, Sorkin Group) for AFM imaging of fibers, the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM, Staufer Group) to explore drug delivery potentials, and mentoring from Nature Communications on professional editorship prospects.
Selected References
- Nat Commun 12, 6421 (2021): supramolecular fibrillation of synthetic peptides in water droplets leads to functional responses such as molecular uptake, fusion or communication. Doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26681-2.
- Nature 603, 637 (2022): presents the chaotropic effect as a method for the effective transport of hydrophilic substances across membranes of vesicles and cells. Doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04413-w
- ACIE 59, 6902 (2020): shows the use of microfluidics to control the distribution (core, interface) of cyclic peptide nanotubes in water droplets. Doi: 10.1002/anie.202000103.
- Chem 6, 1652 (2020): review on the design and function of artificial supramolecularsystems that imitate cellular structures and responses. Doi: 10.1016/j.chempr.2020.06.005.
- JACS, 142, 300 (2020): the first cyclic peptide that can hierarchically self-assemble into 2D tubular nanosheets in the micron range. Doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b10582.
Doctoral Candidate: Amy Lee
Amy earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology from Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea. During her Master’s research, she focused on isolating and characterizing extracellular vesicles from various types of stem cells and assessing their therapeutic potential. In particular, her thesis investigated extracellular vesicles derived from 3D cultures of mesenchymal stem cells and their application in skin disease models. She also gained international experience at York University, Canada, where she studied the effects of extracellular vesicles on cardiometabolic disease.
Her broader research interests include developing synthetic biomimetic nanocarriers and delivery systems with potential industrial applications.
Hosted by:
Javier Montenegro
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
CiQUS and the Organic Chemistry department at the USC
Montenegro Lab
