Biomimetic Membranes

Our core biomimetic technology is based on a combination of:

  • Biologically derived membrane proteins (e.g. aquaporin) and bioinspired synthetic polymers
  • Highly permeable polymeric substrates characterized by narrow pore-size distribution

The new approach to chemistry with self-assembled polymer-protein hybrids allows for novel coating methods to utilize aquaporin’s selectivity and productivity in membrane based separations.

We specialize in block copolymer synthesis and lamellar phases self-assembly. From our protein and chemistry domain knowledge, we achieved vesicular self-assembly efficiency over 98%.

We are recognized as a leader in the expression, purification, and production scale-up of porins from biological sources as well as synthesis of various types of polymeric amphiphiles.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

M. Grzelakowski, K. Kita
Terminal Groups Control Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers In Solution.
Nanoscale, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016,8, 6674-6683.

M. Grzelakowski, Meron F. Cherenet, Yue-xiao Shen, M. Kumar
A Framework for Accurate Evaluation of the Promise of Aquaporin Based Biomimetic Membranes.
Journal of Membrane Science 479, Pages 223–231