Understanding the role of lipid-A composition on the formation of outer membrane vesicles via small-angle scattering of light and X-rays

• Grant number: 23/03184-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: March 11, 2024
• End date: March 10, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Thereza Amélia Soares da Silva
• Grantee: Diane Correia de Araújo Lima
• Supervisor: Stefan Salentinig
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université de Fribourg, Switzerland
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/12285-6 - The effect of lipid composition on the biogenesis of extracellular vesicles: a molecular perspective, BP.DR

Abstract

We propose to investigate the role of lipid composition and spatial distribution on the curvature of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. This will be achieved by investigating the self-assembly of lipopolysaccharides with phospholipids using a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Small angle scattering of light and X-rays, together with surface-sensitive techniques such as tensiometry and Brewster angle microscopy, will be used to analyze the self-assembly of the amphiphilic molecules in the Swiss team. These results will be combined with the molecular-level computational simulations performed within the Brazilian group. This integrated experimental-computational approach will allow an in-depth understanding of lipopolysaccharide interactions and assist the rational design of advanced antimicrobial strategies. (AU)