The Penn State Research Foundation

Harvard College

Carnegie Mellon University

Applied Biomimetic A/s

Vandstrom Aps

Manish Kumar

Woochul Song

Tingwei Ren

Darrell Velegol

Yu-Ming Tu

Yue-Xiao Shen

Rajarshi Guha

Thomas Keith Wood

Mariusz Piotr Grzelakowski

Meagan Mauter

Ian T Sines

Thammajun L Wood

Abhishek Kar

Thomas Walz

Chao Lang

Yue-xiao Shen

Ian Sines

The present disclosure describes compositions and methods for preparing membrane protein nanosheets and two-dimensional crystals. In particular, the methods employ a solvent. A mixture of a polymer and a membrane protein is solubilized in the solvent, applied to a substrate, and subsequently dried to form the nanosheet or two-dimensional crystal. Applicants have surprisingly found that the membrane proteins maintain their structure when exposed to solvents during the short processing time utilized.

Organic solvent method for preparing membrane protein based nanosheets and membranes based on nanosheets

The present invention relates to a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane composition comprising macrocycles. The invention also relates in part to a method of fabricating a TFC membrane and to a method of using the TFC membrane to separate a desired liquid or gas from a liquid or gas mixture.

Thin-film composite membrane and methods of making and using the same

The present disclosure describes membrane compositions and methods for preparing membrane compositions. In particular, the methods employ a layer-by-layer approach to membrane preparation. The membrane compositions provide significantly enhanced membrane performance over existing commercial membranes, particularly in terms of permeability and selectivity.

Method for biological or biomimetic channel-based membrane fabrications using layer-by-layer structure

Disclosed herein is a membrane comprising a bonding layer; and an activation layer disposed on the bonding layer and in contact with it; where the activation layer comprises catalyst nanoparticles that are operative to decompose impurities contained in an aqueous solution to generate gas bubbles that remove a sludge disposed on the membrane. Disclosed herein too is a method of purifying an aqueous solution comprising disposing in the aqueous solution, a membrane that comprises a bonding layer and an activation layer; where the activation layer comprises catalyst nanoparticles; partitioning the aqueous solution into a concentrate portion and a filtrate portion; where the activation layer contacts the concentrate portion; and decomposing impurities contained in the aqueous solution to generate gas bubbles that remove a sludge disposed on the membrane.

Membrane surface activation to eliminate fouling and concentration polarization in water purification systems

Vesicles formed from a block copolymer comprising at least one (poly)2-Calkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block; and membranes comprising such vesicles. Block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-Calkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block, provided that the copolymer is not the diblock copolymer consisting of 40 butadiene units and 190 2-methyl-2-oxazoline units terminated by a hydroxy group, are novel, and also form part of the invention.

Vesicles formed from block copolymers, and novel block copolymers

The disclosure describes a method of forming highly ordered membrane protein crystals. The forming process is done in the presence of a magnetic field to exploit the diamagnetic anisotropy of the membrane protein. Further described is a method of magnetic alignment and crystallization of membrane proteins in two-dimensional (2D) sheets for protein structural characterization and applications in functional devices. Block co-copolymers are used in alternative embodiments to assist with the crystallization process.

Method of magnetically aligning and crystallizing membrane proteins

Biofilms are provided which are capable of regulating their own thickness, reducing contamination and preventing biofouling. Constructs are introduced into bacteria that comprise nucleic acid molecules encoding an autoinducer synthase polypeptide, a transcriptional regulator and a biofilm dispersal protein. Nucleic acid molecules may also be introduced which encode a nitric oxide synthase, an epoxide hydrolase, or both. Biofilms of the bacteria may be used to reduce biofouling and contamination of a surface.

Biofilms, components and methods of use to reduce biofouling and contamination

Provided are processes of removing particulate fouling from a filtration membrane or for preventing membrane fouling by particulate matter. A process capitalizes on reversal of a naturally occurring diisophoretic particle deposition to actively move particulate material away from a membrane. A process includes placing a microparticle including a salt in proximity to a membrane such that the microparticle creates a gradient generated spontaneous electric field or a gradient generated spontaneous chemiphoretic field in the solvent proximal to the membrane that actively draws charged particles away from the membrane thereby removing charged particulate matter away from the membrane or preventing its deposition.

Membrane fouling reduction using chemical micropumps

Embodiments of the invention provide methods for preparing high density membrane protein membranes by slow, controlled removal of detergent from mixtures of detergent, block copolymers and membrane protein mixtures. Membranes created by this method are also provided. The structure of these membranes may be varied by varying the amount of membrane protein.

Growing community of inventors

State College, PA, United States of America

Manish Kumar