Nanoactuation of plasma membrane protein clusters

Plasma membrane proteins show complex dynamic ordering, such as clustering, on a nanoscale level, which typically changes after external stimulation. The mechanisms of these processes and the consequences for signal transduction are of great interest as extra-cellular signaling events are translated into cells via the plasma membrane. We aim to actuate plasma membrane proteins in a controlled fashion using rationally designed nano-objects and to visualize this interfacing process on the nanometer scale, yielding new insights into cell signalling via the plasma membrane. Rationally designed nano-objects with controlled interfaces to actuate proteins in membranes specifically address the call requirement for groundbreaking research in nanoscale interfaces. The nano-objects bridge the gap between studies on isolated proteins that cannot account for protein clustering in the native environment and whole cell studies, that do not allow the controlled actuation of the nano-clusters.