Transmigration of alternating amphiphilic polymers through lipid membranes

Polymers with a very balanced hydrophilicity can translocate through biological membranes without doing damage. This simulates natural metabolism, and, therefore, allow for targeting certain drugs or agents into the cell interior [1]. We have synthesized such balanced, alternating hydrophobic/hydrophilic polymers and proved their translocation through lipid bilayer using Pulsed Field Gradient NMR technique. However, with this technique we can’t exclude that some part of the polymers is attracted by lipid bilayer and therefore excluded from transmigration process. Now we want to test if the attraction takes place in our system using small angle neutron scattering.[1] M. Werner, J.-U. Sommer, V. A. Baulin, Soft Matter 2012, 8, 11714