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Membranes
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Membranes in Medicine and Biology
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Membranes in Medicine and Biology

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2015)

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. James L. McGrath

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
Interests: nanofabrication; microsystems; membrane-based separations; molecular sensing; barrier tissue models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the use of membranes in medicine and biology. From substrates for cell culture to life saving therapies such as hemodialysis, membranes are ubiquitous tools in the life sciences. The membranes used in practice however, are typically 30 years old technologies. The papers in this Issue report on innovations in membrane design that can help advance the pace of biological discovery and the effectiveness of medical treatment.

Dr. James L. McGrath
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.


Published Papers (4 papers)

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17231 KiB  
Article
Analytical and Finite Element Modeling of Nanomembranes for Miniaturized, Continuous Hemodialysis
by Tucker Burgin, Dean Johnson, Henry Chung, Alfred Clark and James McGrath
Membranes 2016, 6(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes6010006 - 31 Dec 2015
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6111
Abstract
Hemodialysis involves large, periodic treatment doses using large-area membranes. If the permeability of dialysis membranes could be increased, it would reduce the necessary dialyzer size and could enable a wearable device that administers a continuous, low dose treatment of chronic kidney disease. This [...] Read more.
Hemodialysis involves large, periodic treatment doses using large-area membranes. If the permeability of dialysis membranes could be increased, it would reduce the necessary dialyzer size and could enable a wearable device that administers a continuous, low dose treatment of chronic kidney disease. This paper explores the application of ultrathin silicon membranes to this purpose, by way of analytical and finite element models of diffusive and convective transport of plasma solutes during hemodialysis, which we show to be predictive of experimental results. A proof-of-concept miniature nanomembrane dialyzer design is then proposed and analytically predicted to clear uremic toxins at near-ideal levels, as measured by several markers of dialysis adequacy. This work suggests the feasibility of miniature nanomembrane-based dialyzers that achieve therapeutic levels of uremic toxin clearance for patients with kidney failure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes in Medicine and Biology)
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634 KiB  
Article
Effects of Low Concentrations of Docosahexaenoic Acid on the Structure and Phase Behavior of Model Lipid Membranes
by Chai Lor and Linda S. Hirst
Membranes 2015, 5(4), 857-874; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes5040857 - 04 Dec 2015
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6067
Abstract
In this paper we report an X-ray diffraction study on the phase behavior of binary lipid mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DHA-PE) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) at low concentrations below 5.0 mol% DHA-PE. Our results show that DHA-PE induces phase separation into [...] Read more.
In this paper we report an X-ray diffraction study on the phase behavior of binary lipid mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DHA-PE) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) at low concentrations below 5.0 mol% DHA-PE. Our results show that DHA-PE induces phase separation into a DHA rich liquid crystalline (Lα) phase and a DHA poor gel (Lβ′) phase at overall DHA-PE concentrations as low as 0.1 mol%. In addition, we find that the structure of the Lβ′ phase, from which the DHA-PE molecules are largely excluded, is modified in the phase-separated state at low DHA-PE concentrations, with a decrease in bilayer thickness of 1.34 nm for 0.1 mol% at room temperature, compared to pure DPPC bilayers. This result is contrary to that seen in similar studies on mono-unsaturated lipids where an increase in bilayer thickness is observed. The surprising effect of such low DHA-PE concentrations on membrane structure may be important in understanding the role of highly polyunsaturated lipids in biological membrane-based structures and similar artificial surfactant systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes in Medicine and Biology)
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325 KiB  
Article
Co-Utilization of Glucose and Xylose for Enhanced Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production with Reverse Membrane Bioreactors
by Mofoluwake M. Ishola, Päivi Ylitervo and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
Membranes 2015, 5(4), 844-856; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes5040844 - 03 Dec 2015
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6397
Abstract
Integrated permeate channel (IPC) flat sheet membranes were examined for use as a reverse membrane bioreactor (rMBR) for lignocellulosic ethanol production. The fermenting organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (T0936), a genetically-modified strain with the ability to ferment xylose, was used inside the rMBR. The rMBR [...] Read more.
Integrated permeate channel (IPC) flat sheet membranes were examined for use as a reverse membrane bioreactor (rMBR) for lignocellulosic ethanol production. The fermenting organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (T0936), a genetically-modified strain with the ability to ferment xylose, was used inside the rMBR. The rMBR was evaluated for simultaneous glucose and xylose utilization as well as in situ detoxification of furfural and hydroxylmethyl furfural (HMF). The synthetic medium was investigated, after which the pretreated wheat straw was used as a xylose-rich lignocellulosic substrate. The IPC membrane panels were successfully used as the rMBR during the batch fermentations, which lasted for up to eight days without fouling. With the rMBR, complete glucose and xylose utilization, resulting in 86% of the theoretical ethanol yield, was observed with the synthetic medium. Its application with the pretreated wheat straw resulted in complete glucose consumption and 87% xylose utilization; a final ethanol concentration of 30.3 g/L was obtained, which corresponds to 83% of the theoretical yield. Moreover, complete in situ detoxification of furfural and HMF was obtained within 36 h and 60 h, respectively, with the rMBR. The use of the rMBR is a promising technology for large-scale lignocellulosic ethanol production, since it facilitates the co-utilization of glucose and xylose; moreover, the technology would also allow the reuse of the yeast for several batches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes in Medicine and Biology)
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342 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Fermentative Hydrogen and Methane Production from an Inhibitory Fruit-Flavored Medium with Membrane-Encapsulated Cells
by Julius Akinbomi, Rachman Wikandari and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
Membranes 2015, 5(4), 616-631; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes5040616 - 16 Oct 2015
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5827
Abstract
This study focused on the possibility of improving fermentative hydrogen and methane production from an inhibitory fruit-flavored medium using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane-encapsulated cells. Hexanal, myrcene, and octanol, which are naturally produced in fruits such as apple, grape, mango, orange, strawberry, and plum, [...] Read more.
This study focused on the possibility of improving fermentative hydrogen and methane production from an inhibitory fruit-flavored medium using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane-encapsulated cells. Hexanal, myrcene, and octanol, which are naturally produced in fruits such as apple, grape, mango, orange, strawberry, and plum, were investigated. Batch and semi-continuous fermentation processes at 55 °C were carried out. Presence of 5 g/L of myrcene, octanol, and hexanal resulted in no methane formation by fermenting bacteria, while encapsulated cells in the membranes resulted in successful fermentation with 182, 111, and 150 mL/g COD of methane, respectively. The flavor inhibitions were not serious on hydrogen-producing bacteria. With free cells in the presence of 5 g/L (final concentration) of hexanal-, myrcene-, and octanol-flavored media, average daily yields of 68, 133, and 88 mL/g COD of hydrogen, respectively, were obtained. However, cell encapsulation further improved these hydrogen yields to 189, 179, and 198 mL/g COD. The results from this study indicate that the yields of fermentative hydrogen and methane productions from an inhibitory medium could be improved using encapsulated cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes in Medicine and Biology)
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