# Presentation: 121291

## Two State Lipid-Protein Bio-Nanotubes with Open and Closed EndsC. R. SAFINYA, UC Santa Barbara, DMR-0503347

**The electrostatic interactions between Microtubules (negative charged nanometer scale hollow cylinders derived from the cell), and positive lipid membranes has led to the discovery of lipid-protein-nanotubes (LPNs,  figure at right). The LPNs are “smart” in that by controlling the charge one may switch between two states with open (middle) or closed ends (left), which forms the basis for controlled chemical and drug encapsulation and release.**
**The nanoscale tubule was discovered by UCSB researchers in a study combining state-of-the-art synchrotron x-ray scattering at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) and electron microscopy at UCSB.**
**Highlights:**** UC Santa Barbara and NSF Press Releases (An NSF Featured News Item “A Smart Bio-Nanotube”, Released August 9). Scheduled to appear as the SSRL Science Highlight (November, 2005)**

**Lipid protein nanotubes (LPNs) with open (middle) or closed (left) ends. The LPN  architecture (cross section shown at right) consists of a cylindrical Lipid-bilayer sandwiched between the microtubule (protein polymer, blue-red) and outer tubulin rings (protein oligomer, yellow-green). **
**Reference: Raviv, Needleman, Li, Miller, Wilson, Safinya, *****Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA***** , **_**102**_**, 11167-11172 (2005)**

## Supramolecular Assembly of Biological MoleculesC. R. SAFINYA, UC Santa Barbara, DMR- 0503347

**Education****:**** ****The goals are to educate undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers , in methods which enable them to discover nature’s building blocks and rules for assembling the blocks in distinct shapes and sizes for particular functions. The learned concepts enable development of advanced nanoscale materials for broad applications in electronic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries****.**

**Outreach:**** ****Kelsey Gorter ****(Top figure, right),**** a sophomore at Allan Hancock Community College was Summer 2005 intern (Internships in Nanosystems Science and Engineering Technology) in the PIs group ****(http://education.cnsi.ucsb.edu/pages/inset/projects/projects2005/gorter.html).**** She and Mentor ****Jayna Jones**** (graduate student, top and middle figures) studied the interactions between neurofilaments of nerve cells and L-Dopa (a common drug for Parkinson patients). UCSB Undergraduate ****Jennifer Abby Oehler ****(middle figure, left),**** was in the PIs group during the 2004-2005 academic area and received training from Mentor ****Jayna Jones**** on how neurofilaments build up the structures that impact mechanical strength and stabilize nerve cells (she was previously an intern in the PIs lab during summer 2003). ****Lower figure:**** Postdoctoral researcher ****Hauke Schollmeyer**** ****(left)**** working with ****Nataly Belman (right)****, an exchange graduate student from Ben Gurion University (Israel),  to set up x-ray diffraction experiments to study nanocrystals. The PI’s group in collaboration with Dr. Youli Li of the Materials Research Laboratories provides service to other campus researchers requiring x-ray diffraction.  **