Question

I am completely new to protein biology experiments. I care about experiments where proteins are immobilized near a surface with the help of a glassy matrix or similar materials.

I am looking for a reference that will allow me to compare the performance of various matrices in immobilizing proteins at room temperature. In particular, I want to know which matrices are the best at limiting protein tumbling at room temperature.

In particular, I am interested in matrices that outperform Polylysine matrices at room temperature by a good margin, if that's possible.

I am aware that the melting point of the glassy matrices is probably a good proxy for their ability to immobilize proteins. So perhaps a reference describing the melting points of these matrices would be enough.

If this is more appropriate in the Chemistry forum, let me know.

Answer 1

Protein immobilization experiments focus on the effectiveness of glassy matrices at limiting protein tumbling at room temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

In protein biology experiments, protein immobilization on surfaces is a key area of focus. Particularly, the performance of various glassy matrices in immobilizing proteins and limiting protein tumbling at room temperature is critical to consider. Matrices with an optimal stiffness of approximately 10 kPa have been found to enhance myofibril condensation.

Glassy matrices with high glass transition temperatures (Tg) may inherently provide better immobilization due to reduced molecular motion at lower temperatures. However, matrix stiffness also plays a role, as indicated by the effect of substrate stiffness on myofibril assembly as reported by Engler et al. (2004b).

While matrices should ideally reduce protein mobility in comparison to polylysine matrices, they must also maintain functional protein conformation and activity. It's noteworthy that the properties of soft matter physics—encompassing liquid crystals, colloidal dispersions, and polymer gels—contribute to this field of protein immobilization.