IGEM:IMPERIAL/2007/Projects/In-Veso/Presentations/29-08-07

=Vesicles=
 * 1) Method of vesicle formation
 * 2) Emulsions, briefly
 * 3) Progress to date
 * 4) The Pore Dilemma
 * 5) The next steps

=The Method=

=Emulsions= We are mixing oil and water - a very old problem...
 * The problem arises due to a high surface tension at the interface.
 * The creation of surfaces requires an energy input - work.
 * The lowest energy state is that with smallest interface surface area.

Surfactants are used to reduce surface tension.

A surfactant is any substance that reduces the surface tension between two immiscible liquids.

=Art, not Science=

The activity of surfactants depends on: The process is hard to predict and reproduce. Our understanding of the process is qualitative. The physical laws are still unknown.
 * Oil composition
 * Salinity and osmolarity
 * pH, temperature, pressure
 * Head and tail characteristics
 * etc.

=What We have Done= We think we encapsulated GFP in vesicles.

We have used different materials:
 * DOPC, POPC, and Span 80 as surfactants
 * Dodecane and Mineral Oil as oils

We have done modifications to our protocol, often in an expedient manner.
 * Sometimes haphazard, sometimes serendipitous.

=Pore Dilemma=
 * Vesicles are inefficient without permeability.
 * Pores do not destabilize the membrane, but they are toxic.
 * Detergents are not toxic, but they destabilize the membrane.

=What's Next=
 * Permeability Tests
 * Cell-free extract in-veso
 * Application-based experiments

=The End= End Presentation