Coarse grain simulations to study Lipid domain behaviours under vitamin E exposure
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Your Location
Windsor
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Drew Marquardt
Proposal
Vitamin E is a biomolecule often used as a vitamin supplement and an antioxidant . There are two families of Vitamin E, tocopherols and tocotrienols, each of which comprise of four variants, (α, β, γ, and δ). Research promotes Vitamin E as an anti-cancer agent through the membrane raft destabilization mechanism. The primary focus of vitamin E research is to demonstrate the effects of vitamin E members on lipid domains and membrane organizations. Using phase separating unilamellar lipid vesicles, alongside small-angle scattering techniques and fluorescence microscopy, the LABR group was able to determine that lipid phase behaviour remains undisturbed even beyond physiological concentrations of vitamin E. The purpose of this research is to gain better understanding of Vitamin E supplementation by exploring further interactions of Vitamin E in lipid membranes and whether its behaviour is consistent with raft disrupting anti-cancer mechanisms. Current work focuses on analyzing effects of tocopherol in vitamin E on lipid domains using coarse grain simulations to compliment experimental values and understand domain behaviours.
Coarse grain simulations to study Lipid domain behaviours under vitamin E exposure
Vitamin E is a biomolecule often used as a vitamin supplement and an antioxidant . There are two families of Vitamin E, tocopherols and tocotrienols, each of which comprise of four variants, (α, β, γ, and δ). Research promotes Vitamin E as an anti-cancer agent through the membrane raft destabilization mechanism. The primary focus of vitamin E research is to demonstrate the effects of vitamin E members on lipid domains and membrane organizations. Using phase separating unilamellar lipid vesicles, alongside small-angle scattering techniques and fluorescence microscopy, the LABR group was able to determine that lipid phase behaviour remains undisturbed even beyond physiological concentrations of vitamin E. The purpose of this research is to gain better understanding of Vitamin E supplementation by exploring further interactions of Vitamin E in lipid membranes and whether its behaviour is consistent with raft disrupting anti-cancer mechanisms. Current work focuses on analyzing effects of tocopherol in vitamin E on lipid domains using coarse grain simulations to compliment experimental values and understand domain behaviours.