Michael Mayer
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering
2174 Lurie Biomedical Engineering Building
(734) 763-4609
FAX: (734) 763-4371
mimayer@umich.edu
Communication and transport across biomembranes, membrane biophysics, ion channels and carrier proteins, electrophysiology, micro/nanofabrication, biosensors.
Mayer Research Group Page
Biographical Information
Education
| Ph.D. | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland | Biophysical Chemistry | 2000 |
| Diploma Thesis | University of Washington, Seattle | Bioanalytical Chemistry | 1996 |
| M.S. | Technical University Carolo Wilhelmina, Braunschweig, Germany | Bioengineering | 1996 |
| B.S. | Technical University Carolo Wilhelmina, Braunschweig, Germany | Bioengineering | 1992 |
Professional Experience
| University of Michigan Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Departments Ann Arbor, Michigan Associate Professor-2009 |
|
| Postdoctoral Associate in Biological Chemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge, 2001-2003 |
|
| Scientist (part of Ph.D.), Bioanalytical Research, Novartis Pharma, Basel, Switzerland, 1996-1998 |
Funding and Awards
| Novartis Foundation, Research Fellowship, Switzerland, 2002 |
| NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship, DAAD, Germany. Declined, 2001 |
| Swiss National Science Foundation, Research Fellowship, Switzerland, 2001 |
| Karl Schuegerl Research Award for Biotechnology, Germany, 1997 |
| Daimler-Benz-Fellow, Germany, 1996 |
| Ernest-Solvay, Scholarship, Germany, 1995 |
Research Interests
Signal transduction and transport processes across biomembranes are fascinating phenomena. For example, how do cells communicate and coordinate their activity with each other? How do they manage to keep, or pump certain ions and molecules inside the cells and release others? In many cases, membrane transport and signaling are mediated by membrane proteins. These sophisticated molecular machines are capable of recognizing and binding specific signaling molecules, undergoing conformational changes, and regulating the passage of ions or molecules through lipid bilayers. Due to their role in a wide range of cellular processes, malfunctions of membrane proteins are responsible for many diseases like cystic fibrosis, irregular heartbeat, epilepsy, and anxiety. Understanding membrane transport, sensors of cells, and signaling of cells will make it possible to identify new drugs and to engineer nano-scale sensors, amplifiers, valves, and motors. We use tools in micro- and nanofabrication as well as engineered proteins to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cellular communication through biomembranes. We are working in the following areas:
- Arrays of micro-/nanopores for parallel monitoring of the activity of ion channel and carrier proteins in lipid bilayers or suspended cells.
- Engineered, artificial ion channels.
- Ultrasensitive biomimetic sensors with two-fold amplification
- Juxtaposed lipid bilayers for electrophysiological recordings of gap junctions and for studying immunological synapses.
- Biosensors based on artificial synapses.
Recent Publications
M.X. Macrae, S. Blake, M. Mayer, J. Yang. "Nanoscale Ionic Diodes with Tunable and Switchable Rectifying Behavior,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, in press.
E.C. Yusko, R. An, M. Mayer, "Electroosmotic flow can generate ion current rectification in nano- and micropores", ACS Nano, 4, 477-487, 2010.
M.X. Macrae, S. Blake, T. Mayer, M. Mayer, J. Yang, "Reactive derivatives of gramicidin enable light- and ion-modulated ion channels", Proc. SPIE, 11, 7397, 2009.
S. Majd, E.C. Yusko, A.D. MacBriar, J. Yang, M. Mayer, "Gramicidin pores report the activity of membrane-active enzymes,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131, 16119-16126, 2009.
M.X. Macrae, S. Blake, X. Jiang, R. Capone, D.J. Ester, M. Mayer, J. Yang, "A semi-synthetic ion channel platform for detection of phosphatase and protease activity", ACS Nano, 11, 3567-3580, 2009.
R. Capone, F.G. Quiroz, P. Prangkio, I. Saluja, A.M. Sauer, M.R. Bautista, R.S. Turner, J. Yang, M. Mayer, "Amyloid-beta-induced ion flux in artificial lipid bilayers and neuronal cells: resolving a controversy" Neurotoxicity Research, 16, 1-13, 2009.
K.S. Horger, D.J. Estes, R. Capone, M. Mayer, "Films of agarose enable rapid formation of giant liposomes in solutions of physiological ionic strength,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131, 1810-1819, 2009.
