On July 8th, Ms. Zisan Caliskan presented her final report on the results of her three-month internship in our group, on the topic “dPGA Macromolecular Conformation and Interaction with Zwitterionic Vesicles in Different Media.”

She investigated the conformation of dPGA and lPGA macromolecules in solution using DLS and on surfaces using AFM. She demonstrated for the first time that dPGA is more soluble in carbonic acid solutions than in conventional acids. Furthermore, she studied the interaction between dPGA and zwitterionic vesicles as a first model approximation of cell membranes, since dPGA coatings are promising candidates for films used in cell growth applications. In this part of her work, she successfully developed a spin-labeling protocol for the dPGA polymer and demonstrated dPGA/vesicle interaction via EPR spectroscopy.

During her internship, Zisan learned to work independently with atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), and high-pressure equipment among many other things. Her efforts contributed significantly to advancing this research topic in the group and culminated in an excellent final presentation.