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Selective Deposition and Self-Assembly of Triblock Copolymers into Matrix Arrays for Membrane Protein Production

Posted: December 27, 2011
Langmuir 2012, 28, 4, 2044–2048, Copyright © 2011 American Chemical Society
doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/la2038087

Authors: Mirjam Andreasson-OchsnerZhikang FuSylvia MayLow Ying XiuMadhavan Nallani*Eva-Kathrin Sinner

Abstract

To improve the stability of cell membrane mimics, there has been growing interest in the use of block copolymers. Here, we present an easy approach to create an array of planar polymeric matrices capable of hosting membrane proteins. The array of polymeric matrices was formed by the selective deposition of triblock copolymers onto an array of hydrophilic islands situated within a hydrophobic background. The thickness of these matrices corresponds to the length of a single polymer chain. These polymeric matrices were used to host cell-free expressed membrane proteins, and offers a prototype from which a membrane protein array can be created for diagnostics or drug discovery purposes.