Laboratories:
1. Preparation and characterization of liposomes. Working with lipids.
2. A basic quartz crystal microbalance experiment: supported lipid bilayer formation versus vesicle adsorption. Resistance of interfaces to non-specific protein adsorption. Surface preparation and cleaning, experimental setup and data evaluation.
Students will receive hands-on training in handling phspholipids: storage, stock solution preparation and storage, liposome preparation and storage, liposome characterization by dynamic light scattering and z-potential measurements.
Tutors: Ling Zhu, Marta Gallego (CIC biomaGUNE).
Supported lipid bilayer formation versus vesicle adsorption. Surface preparation and cleaning, experimental setup and data evaluation.
Tutors: Dr. Leire Díaz, Natalia Baranova, Marta Gallego, Dr. Ilya Reviakine (CIC biomaGUNE).
3. Combined quartz crystal microbalance/ellipsometry measurements: protein oligomerisation and orientation on the surface deduced from a combined acoustic and optical measurement.
Acoustic versus optical methods.
Tutors: Dr. Galina Dubacheva, Nico Eisele (CIC biomaGUNE) .
4. Dynamic fluorescence studies of proteins in model systems and cells: fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).
Tutors: Dr. Aleš Benda, Martin Stefl (Heyrovský Institute, Prague), Danijela Gregurec.
5. Measuring forces with atomic force microscopy.
Tutors: Dr. Marisela Velez and David Olea (Autonomous University, Madrid), Seetharamaiah Attili (CIC biomaGUNE).
6. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy: Imaging particles and structured surfaces at the nanoscale.
Tutors: Marco Möller (CIC biomaGUNE).
7. Basics of flow cytometry: platelet isolation and activation.
Tutors: Swati Gupta (CIC biomaGUNE).
8. Surface Analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
XPS, also called ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis), is a widely used tool for studying the surface chemical composition of materials. The laboratory will provide students with hands-on experience of using the instrument to analyze the chemical composition of a model surface and introduce them to the basics of spectra analysis.
Tutors: Dr. Belén Sánchez, Dr. I. Reviakine (CIC biomaGUNE).
9. How to investigate polymer structures and self-assembled bilayers using a Monte Carlo simulation method.
Tutors: Drs. Marco Werner & Ron Dockhorn (Leibniz-Institute of Polymer Research, Dresden, Germany).
We give a hands on tutorial to the bond fluctuation model using an on-the-fly simulation tool with graphical user interface and 3D-output. We help the students to become familiar with the basics of this simulation method and its physical background by means of simple examples. The students may create their own virtual polymer architectures and explore their behavior under external forces, at adsorbing interfaces or in confinements. In a second part, the model will be extended by solvent effects, which enable the students to investigate self-assembled bilayer and their interactions with macromolecules such as nano-tubes. (see figure)
