Structural investigations of VWF under flow by FTIR spectroscopy
Final Report Abstract
In the course of project C3, a variety of shear-inducing setups was built for the time resolved FTIR-spectroscopic analysis of VWF protein solutions under controlled shear forces: an SAW driven shear chamber, syringe- and pressure driven flow-chips, and a rotary shear inductor on a µATR device. The setups cover adjustable low to high shear rates. VWF sample preparation protocols have been optimized. Spectroscopic results indicated that only less than 10 % of the entire full-length VWF protein react to shear by secondary structure refolding. Experiments depicting details of the VWF shear response are currently reproduced. Upon sufficient statistics, the results will be accordingly published. Due to the different challenges encountered during the project, and the thus necessary deviation from the essential technical goal of implementing the innovative SAW technology into structural FTIR analysis, the project will not be continued in a follow-up period in the current form. The unexpectedly limited extent of a spectroscopically observable VWF shear reaction confines the expectable details of further analysis. However, the current project C3 members stay available for collaboration with continuing SHENC sections on narrowly outlined projects.
