Photoinduced oxidations in model membranes, organelles, cells and skin mimics: molecular mechanisms and protection strategies

• Grant number: 22/07047-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio da Silva Baptista
• Grantee: Márcia Silvana Freire Franco
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07937-8 - Redoxome - Redox Processes in Biomedicine, AP.CEPID
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/06657-3 - Bodipy probes to study photoinduced oxidations in model membranes, organelles, and cells, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Contact-dependent photosensitized oxidation is essential to form molecular pores and allow membrane leakage, through the accumulation of aldehydes from truncated lipids (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140 (30), 9606-96151; 2019, 141 (39), 15547-15556). We also found that damage to organelle membranes greatly increases the efficiency of photoinduced cell death (Autophagy 2019, 15 (2), 259-279). We intend to study the efficiency and the mechanism of molecular damage in model membranes, cells in 2D and 3D culture, using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, including mass spectrometry and lipidomics. This knowledge can be used to improve the efficiency of photomedicine procedures as well as develop novel and more robust methods of protection against the excess of sun exposure. (AU)