Research

Interaction of peptides and proteins with membranes

Cell membranes represent a serious protective barrier for external molecules, proteins, nanoparticles and drugs. This barrier is quite efficient in protecting the interior of the cells. Cell penetrating peptides, certain proteins, pore forming peptides can preferentially interact with lipid membranes and form different structures. Very little can be said about the pathway and the entry […]

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Self-assembly of interpolyelectrolyte complexes and their interaction with lipid membranes

 Electrostatic interactions are instrumental in determining the structure and function of living organisms, biopolymers and drug delivery systems. Charged macromolecules can self-assemble and aggregate into compact intermolecular complexes.
This ability of oppositely charged polymers to form finite size complexes determines their biological function, which for example is important in gene transfection and compactization of DNA, that provide promising alternatives to viral vectors. […]

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Translocation of nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and polymers through bilayers

Cell membranes represent a serious protective barrier for external molecules, proteins, nanoparticles and drugs. This barrier is quite efficient in protecting the interior of the cells. However, large nanoscale objects, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been found inside the cells both in direct and indirect biological experiments. Such experiments suggest that carbon nanotubes can efficiently […]

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Polymer micelles as drug carriers

Block copolymer micelles are composed of polymer chains with sequences of hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. In a dilute aqueous solution, they form spherical or cylindrical nano-objects comprised of several chains with a hydrophobic core and extended hydrophilic corona. Lipophilic drugs can be dissolved in the core of these micelles, while the corona will assure solubility […]

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Permeability of lipid bilayers induced by polymers

Lipid bilayers emerge by self-organization of amphiphilic molecules and are the essential component of membranes of living cells. An important task of them is the selective exchange of substances between the cell and its environment. This becomes particularly interesting for delivering foreign molecules and RNA into the cell. In the classical view of cell biology static […]

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