Solid phase membrane mimetics: immobilized artificial membranes

The studies discussed demonstrate the importance of developing rapid methods to purify membrane proteins and also quantitate binding events between cell membranes and biomolecules. Traditional equilibrium methods are experimentally very difficult because of long equilibration times, peptide aggregation, and the need to make several measurements to obtain a single binding constant. We are developing chromatographic methods to measure binding constants between membranes and biomolecules by using solid phase membrane mimetics. Solid phase binding assays are well established for reactions that typically occur in solution, whereas for reactions that require a membrane environment, no solid phase assay exists. Solid phase membrane mimetics have the potential of filling this gap.