Permanent staff:
Dr. Sébastien BALME, Univ Montpellier
Dr. Jean-Marc JANOT, CNRS
The “Biomimetic Interfaces and Nanopores” team brings together multidisciplinary chemical-physical and biophysical skills. The issues addressed are those of adsorption, transport and confinment of biomacromolecule or molecules of biological interest. One of the specificities of our team is the development of time-resolved characterization techniques at the scale of the single molecule (fluorescence and resistance pulse).
The current topics are split in 3 main axes:
Transport under confinement and nanofluidic
Biomimetic nanopores
(Biomacro)molecules at solid/liquid interfaces
• Transport under confinement and nanofluidic
This topic aims to understand the transport phenomena of simple electrolytes (ions), (bio)macromolecules (proteins, DNA), protein aggregates, amyloid and nanoparticles through a single nanopore. In this field, our activity focuses on semiconductor and polymer nanopores whose geometry and surface functions can be tuned according to the targeted properties. Beside the fundamental aspect, we aim at the development of single-molecule-scale analytical systems for protein assemblies and nanoparticles.
◾ Analytical chemistry, 90, 12900–12908 (2018)
◾ Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 260, 736–745 (2018)
◾ Langmuir, 32, 8916–8925 (2016)
◾ Soft Matter, 13, 496–502 (2016)
• Biomimetic nanopore
This topic aims to design nanopores that mimic the functions of ion channels in terms of selectivity and response to stimuli (pH, light, ligand, etc.). This type of nanopore can have different applications as a sensor, osmotic energy conversion or logic circuit. In addition to the applications, we are also interested in the behaviour of polyelectrolytes and polymers used to functionalize nanopores (swelling, conformation, adsorption/desorption kinetics, etc.).
◾ The journal of physical chemistry letters, 11, 60–66 (2020)
◾ ACS applied materials & interfaces, 11, 12578–12585 (2019)
◾ Biosensors & bioelectronics, 137, 207–212 (2019)
◾ Chemical communications 51, 5994–5997 (2015)
• (Biomacro)molecules at solid/liquid interfaces
We are interested in the phenomena that occur at the solid/liquid interface, specifically the adsorption of (bio)macromolecules and dye. In this field, we are trying to understand the structure/properties relationship of proteins when they are loaded onto a material. To do so, we are developing experimental devices based on time-resolved fluorescence and confocal spectroscopy.
◾ Advances in colloid and interface science, 270, 278–292 (2019)
◾ Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 183, 110419 (2019)
◾ Langmuir 34, 8866–8874 (2018)
◾ Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 157, 10–17 (2017)
