Application of proteins in burst delivery systems

Biological proteins embedded in either a biological or an engineered membrane will actively maintain electrochemical balance across that membrane. In this study two applications will be examined. First a system of governing equations will be calibrated for a biological endosome. The endocytosis predictions presented then serve to validate the model. In addition, these predictions introduce new insights into endosome burst, which is of interest for advancing DNA vaccine delivery. The calibrated model is subsequently adapted to an analogous engineering scenario for targeted payload delivery. In the presence of a specific external stimulus, burst release of an arbitrary payload encased in a vesicle akin to an endosome is explored. Control of the process through manipulation of vesicle size, stimulus, and transporters is presented. A case is made for application of proteins as building blocks in the design of targeted response materials.