Design, construction and characterization of biomimetic systems reconstituted from synthetic lipoprotein

Billions of years of evolution have forced every living species to develop a diverse array of tools to cope with their constantly changing environments. Each new advancement was preserved in proceeding generations and today there is a vast body of knowledge ready and waiting to be exploited. Until recently, the tools required to analyze and manipulate these systems at the appropriate level have hindered the realization of any improvement in everyday life. Fortunately, modern technology is now primed to make great strides in developing new synthetic systems by emulating their biological equivalents. Not only does this concept promise new techniques for addressing a host of long-standing problems, but it does so without any inherent ecologically-destructive side-effects. Perhaps some of the greatest potential to successfully duplicate biological schemes lies in the fields of medicine, analytical biochemistry and responsible energy production.;A major source of inspiration for new technical advancements is the human body. Of significant interest to bioengineers is the mechanism responsible for cholesterol transport. While the vessel involved is rather simple, it is this simplicity that permits a high degree of functional adaptability. At the core of the mechanism is a supermolecular assembly known as High Density Lipoprotein (HDL). Even in its nascent form, HDL is capable of housing, in a secure manner, any component present in the natural cell membrane. With this technique it will be possible to construct artificial devices which emulate some of the very same processes that are so critical to human life. If these synthetic systems can be engineered with adequate biocompatibility, they can be used not only in vitro but in vivo. By incorporating cell membrane signaling receptors, reconstitutions of HDL may find use as interventional treatments for infectious disease or against cancer. Combining these same assemblies with inorganic substrates will allow the generation of medical and generic-laboratory diagnostic tools. And similarly, by choosing appropriate membrane-bound proteins, it may be possible to construct light harvesting systems for efficient electrical energy generation.