TY - GEN
T1 - Cellular mimics engineered from diblock copolymers
AU - Discher, Bohdana M.
AU - Won, You Yeon
AU - Ege, David S.
AU - Lee, James C M
AU - Bates, Frank S.
AU - Discher, Dennis E.
AU - Hammer, Daniel A.
PY - 1999/12/1
Y1 - 1999/12/1
N2 - Cell-size vesicles were made from amphiphilic diblock copolymers and characterized by micromanipulation. The average molecular weight of the base, synthetic polymer studied here, polyethyleneoxide-polyethylethylene (EO40-EE37), is several-fold greater than that of usual phospholipids of biomembranes. Both the membrane bending and area expansion moduli of electroformed polymersomes (polymer-based liposomes) fell within the range of lipid membrane measurements, but the giant polymersome's membrane proved to be almost an order of magnitude tougher, sustaining far greater areal strain before rupture. The polymersome membrane was also at least tenfold less permeable to water than common phospholipid bilayers. A rich range of vesicle shapes, as well as encapsulation of oxygen-binding proteins, and capabilities to mix the polymer with other amphiphiles and crosslink it, all suggest a new class of functional, biomimetic capsules based on block copolymer chemistry.
AB - Cell-size vesicles were made from amphiphilic diblock copolymers and characterized by micromanipulation. The average molecular weight of the base, synthetic polymer studied here, polyethyleneoxide-polyethylethylene (EO40-EE37), is several-fold greater than that of usual phospholipids of biomembranes. Both the membrane bending and area expansion moduli of electroformed polymersomes (polymer-based liposomes) fell within the range of lipid membrane measurements, but the giant polymersome's membrane proved to be almost an order of magnitude tougher, sustaining far greater areal strain before rupture. The polymersome membrane was also at least tenfold less permeable to water than common phospholipid bilayers. A rich range of vesicle shapes, as well as encapsulation of oxygen-binding proteins, and capabilities to mix the polymer with other amphiphiles and crosslink it, all suggest a new class of functional, biomimetic capsules based on block copolymer chemistry.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033340405&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033340405&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:0033340405
SN - 0780356756
T3 - Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology - Proceedings
BT - Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology - Proceedings
PB - IEEE
T2 - Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (1st Joint BMES / EMBS)
Y2 - 13 October 1999 through 16 October 1999
ER -