36th Annual Student Research Conference
Determining Optimal Concentrations of Ca2+ and Poly Aspartic Acid in Bone Development
Diana E. Heckert
Dr. Bill R. Miller, Faculty Mentor
Bones are the framework of the body and they are important in every step taken. An assemblage of calcium phosphate platelets (CaP) and collagen are what gives the bone its unique material properties. Poly Aspartic Acid (pAsp) has been determined to mimic the function of noncollagenous proteins (NCP). In order for bones to develop in the human body, CaP mineralization in collagen must take place; NCPs facilitate this reaction. CaP mineralization is highly sensitive to Ca2+ and pAsp concentrations. In order to determine the optimal bone growth, concentrations of Ca2+ ions and pAsp chains have been manipulated in different pairings and simulated computationally. Binding energies will be analyzed to determine if pAsp is more or less effective than collagen at binding CaP.
Keywords:
Topic(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 308-6
Location: MG 1000
Time: 2:30