Mathias F. Gruber

Validation and analysis of forward osmosis CFD model in complex 3D geometries

In forward osmosis (FO), an osmotic pressure gradient generated across a semi-permeable membrane is used to generate water transport from a dilute feed solution into a concentrated draw solution. This principle has shown great promise in the areas of water purification, wastewater treatment, seawater desalination and power generation. To ease optimization and increase understanding of membrane systems, it is desirable to have a comprehensive model that allows for easy investigation of all the major parameters in the separation process. Here we present experimental validation of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model developed to simulate FO experiments with asymmetric membranes. Simulations are compared with experimental results obtained from using two distinctly different complex three-dimensional membrane chambers. It is found that the CFD model accurately describes the solute separation process and water permeation through membranes under various flow conditions. It is furthermore demonstrated how the CFD model can be used to optimize membrane geometry in such as way as to promote the mass transfer.

Nanoporous materials modified with biodegradable polymers as models for drug delivery applications

Polymers play a central role in the development of carriers for diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Especially the use of either degradable polymers or porous materials to encapsulate drug compounds in order to obtain steady drug release profiles has received much attention. We present here a proof of principle for a system combining these two encapsulation methods and consisting of a nanoporous polymer (NP) with the pores filled with a degradable polymer mixed with a drug model. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) mixed with Poly(L-Lactic Acid) (PLLA) were confined within the 14 nm pores of a NP with gyroid morphology derived from a diblock copolymer precursor. Glass transition, crystallization and melting of free and confined PLLA were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry. Release profiles for R6G were measured in methanol-water solvents at pH 13, which works as an accelerated release test by speeding up the hydrolysis of PLLA. The obtained release profiles demonstrate that the degradation of PLLA in nanoporous confinement is significantly slower than the degradation of unconfined PLLA. The release of R6G encapsulated in PLLA becomes correspondingly slower, while the initial burst release virtually disappears. These findings suggest that the presented proof of principle constitutes a promising basis for the development of novel implantable drug delivery systems.

Computational Design of Biomimetic Phosphate Scavengers

Phosphorus has long been the target of much research, but in recent years the focus has shifted from being limited only to reducing its detrimental environmental impact, to also looking at how it is linked to the global food security. Therefore, the interest in finding novel techniques for phosphorus recovery, as well as improving existing techniques, has increased. In this study we apply a hybrid simulation approach of molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics to investigate the binding modes of phosphate anions by a small intrinsically disordered peptide. Our results confirm that the conformational ensemble of the peptide is significantly changed, or stabilized, by the binding of phosphate anions and that binding does not take place purely as a result of a stable P-loop binding nest, but rather that multiple binding modes may be involved. Such small synthetic peptides capable of binding phosphate could be the starting point of new novel technological approaches toward phosphorus recovery, and they represent an excellent model system for investigating the nature and dynamics of functional de novo designed intrinsically disordered proteins.

Phosphorus binding sites in proteins: structural preorganization and coordination.

Phosphorus is a ubiquitous element of the cell, which is found throughout numerous key molecules related to cell structure, energy and information storage and transfer, and a diverse array of other cellular functions. In this work, we adopt an approach often used for characterizing metal binding and selectivity of metalloproteins in terms of interactions in a first shell (direct residue interactions with the metal) and a second shell (residue interactions with first shell residues) and use it to characterize binding of phosphorus compounds. Similar analyses of binding have previously been limited to individual structures that bind to phosphate groups; here, we investigate a total of 8307 structures obtained from the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB). An analysis of the binding site amino acid propensities reveals very characteristic first shell residue distributions, which are found to be influenced by the characteristics of the phosphorus compound and by the presence of cobound cations. The second shell, which supports the coordinating residues in the first shell, is found to consist mainly of protein backbone groups. Our results show how the second shell residue distribution is dictated mainly by the first shell of the binding site, especially by cobound cations and that the main function of the second shell is to stabilize the first shell residues.

Separation of Peptides with Forward Osmosis Biomimetic Membranes

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have gained interest in several disciplines for the rejection and concentration of various molecules. One application area for FO membranes that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of the membranes to concentrate or dilute high value compound solutions such as pharmaceuticals. It is crucial in such settings to control the transport over the membrane to avoid losses of valuable compounds, but little is known about the rejection and transport mechanisms of larger biomolecules with often flexible conformations. In this study, transport of two chemically similar peptides with molecular weight (Mw) of 375 and 692 Da across a thin film composite Aquaporin Inside™ Membrane (AIM) FO membrane was investigated. Despite the relative large size, both peptides were able to permeate the dense active layer of the AIM membrane and the transport mechanism was determined to be diffusion-based. Interestingly, the membrane permeability increased 3.65 times for the 692 Da peptide (1.39 × 10−12 m2·s−1) compared to the 375 Da peptide (0.38 × 10−12 m2·s−1). This increase thus occurs for an 85% increase in Mw but only for a 34% increase in peptide radius of gyration (Rg) as determined from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This suggests that Rg is a strong influencing factor for membrane permeability. Thus, an increased Rg reflects the larger peptide chains ability to sample a larger conformational space when interacting with the nanostructured active layer increasing the likelihood for permeation.