Biomembranomics

The membrane is an intricately structured entity that performs numerous vital biological functions, including materials transport, signal transduction, energy transfer, and enzymatic reactions. Abnormal expression and distribution of certain membrane proteins are even associated with genetic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and malignant tumors. Despite the widely acknowledged significance of membranes, comprehensive and systematic research on membranes akin to genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics is still lacking. Furthermore, the broad concept of biomembranes is not confined to the plasma membrane alone; it also includes organelle membranes and membranes of endocytosis or exocytosis vesicles, which are also derived from the biomembrane system.

This book introduces the concept of "omics" to membranes and proposes the term ‘biomembranomics.’ It compiles the latest advancements in structural analysis techniques for biomembranes, including single-molecule manipulation techniques, single-molecule fluorescence techniques, super-resolution fluorescence imaging, cryo-electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, molecular dynamics simulation, and hyphenated instrumental techniques. The book presents both classic and cutting-edge protocols in text and illustrative forms, serving as a valuable and applicable reference material. It provides a profound understanding of biomembrane organization at single-molecule level, paving new avenues for unveiling the relationship between membrane structure and function. Therefore, this book is essential reading for researchers across all related fields.

Hongda Wang has been working as a principal investigator at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PRC, since 2008. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Molecular Biology at Jilin University, PRC, in 1995. He received his doctorate from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry in 2000. From 2001 to 2007, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, USA, and served as a visiting professor there in 2008. He is also a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. His research focuses on studying the structure and function of cell membranes using various single-molecule techniques, particularly atomic force microscopy, molecular recognition imaging, super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy.