Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

Specialization

Biophysics

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Yana Reshetnyak

Abstract

Acidity is considered an alternative biomarker for targeting diseased tissues, such as in the acute phase of inflammation or tumors with poor prognosis. The family of pH Low Insertion Peptides (pHLIPs) are known markers of tissue acidity which provide a useful method for the diagnosis and/or treatment of disease by extracellular or intracellular delivery of imaging agents or therapeutic molecules. In my research, I employ fluorescence and CD spectroscopic techniques to understand how pHLIP's pH-dependent interactions with and insertion into the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane are affected by its sequence and conjugation with cargo and how this correlates with the targeting of acidic cells in cell culture and in mouse models.

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