Cells communicate biological cues by trading chemical signals across the cell membranes. An in-depth understanding of how molecules interact on the membranes is little known at present yet fundamental to engineer and control cellular functions. Biomimetic and nanostructured materials can interact with the cell membrane and serve as probes into complex signaling network on the cell membrane. For example, magnetic particles and surface-patterned protein arrays have been used to manipulate spatiotempral dynamics of signaling pathways on the cell membrane. Among many other biomimetic materials developed to tailor cellular behavior, functionalized colloidal particles are of great potential. Particles, when functionalized with different chemical makeups, can integrate two or even more biomolecules into a single unit with distinct spatial distribution. In this report, the interactions between biomimetic multifunctional particles and human immune cells are systematically studied. We will demonstrate that, by the implementation of high-resolution fluorescence imaging and tracking analysis, multifunctional particles can be used as reporters of membrane protein interactions during cell signaling.

How to probe membrane protein interactions with multifunctional colloids

246th National Meeting (2013)

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