# IMMUNOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS OF RECONSTITUTED MEMBRANES

> **NIH NIH R01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $253,049

## Abstract

This research seeks to exploit a new technique to study the biophysics and
biochemistry of "cell-cell recognition," especially involving cellular
components of the immune system.  The new technique, dubbed the evanescent
wave, supported lipid monolayer (EWSM) technique, replaces one cell of a
cell-cell pair by a lipid monolayer a solid support such as a microscope
slide.  When specific molecules that link a cell to the monolayer are
fluorescent, then the linker molecules that are within about 700/Angstroms
of the monolayer membrane are stimulated to emit when a laser beam
undergoes total external reflection in the microscope slide.  Using this
technique, information on the motion and distribution of molecules involved
in specific cell-membrane, monolayer membrane binding and triggering can be
observed with a fluorescence microscope, for molecules such as lipid
haptens, antibodies, viral proteins, and histocompatibility antigens.

The unique information obtainable indicates that the EWSM technique can be
used to guide biochemical experiments such as the identification and
isolation of cell membrane receptors, especially the elusive T-cell
receptor.  In such experiments, selected cross-linking agents are included
in the lipid monolayer so as to bond only to those cell plasma membrane
components that bind specifically to the monolayer.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3125500
- **Project number:** 5R01AI013587-12
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HJD6G4D6TJY5
- **Principal Investigator:** HARDEN M MC CONNELL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $253,049
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1976-05-01 → 1989-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3125500

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3125500, IMMUNOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS OF RECONSTITUTED MEMBRANES (5R01AI013587-12). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3125500. Licensed CC0.

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