Presentation day

Wednesday  3:40 PM

 

TITLE

Characterization of micelles formed from a model Pluronic F127-BSA conjugate

 

Abstract

The micellization process for the Pluronic PEO-PPO-PEO triblock polymers has been
intensely studied due to their multitude of potential applications, with drug delivery and targeted
therapeutics a particular focus. The self-assembled micelles are well understood for not only individual
polymers but for conditions involving mixed polymers, surfactants and loaded drug and dye molecules as
well. Modification of the micelle surface after assembly is common, but pre-functionalizing the polymers
with desired moieties, such as targeting ligands or proteins, offers synthetic and purification advantages.
How this “pre-loading”, particularly with proteins larger than the polymers themselves, impacts the
assembled structures is however not well studied. To better understand it, we prepared and characterized
micelles formed from a model system of Bovine Serum Albumin conjugated to Pluronic F127. F127 was
first synthetically modified to contain maleimide end groups. The polymer was then site specifically
conjugated to Cysteine 34 on the BSA surface. Micelles of different polymer mixtures (F127, F127/P123)
were assembled and then studied with dynamic and static light scattering (DLS and SLS) and transmission
electron microscopy (TEM). The empirical data will be presented in the context of our theoretical model of
protein-polymer conjugate assembly.