Abstract
Polymer chemists as poachers in foreign grounds? Why not? Macromolecular chemistry has become a mature science with all advantages and handicaps of a well-established scientific discipline: many heights are conquerred and the harvest is abundant, but adventures and the future might be elsewhere. Besides, in these times of bottomed out industrial profits in common plastics, future polymer chemistry cannot be limited to repetitive improvement of already successful mass polymers but should rather expand into neighboring fields of material science as well as life science where "polymer thinking" might help to overcome difficulties. – First hesitant steps on the bridge towards membrane biology have been made.
This contribution will first deal with stabilization of membrane model systems (monolayers, black lipid membranes, vesicles) in general. The desired further biological functionalization of these stabilized polymeric membranes is possible via incorporation of proteins. Addition of natural lipids to polymerizable membranes and enzymatic degradation of the unpolymerized component after polymerization allows selective opening of otherwise stable compartments. Cell-cell recognition – of vital importance in immunological reactions – can be mimicked with polymeric vesicles carrying sugar headgroups. Finally, attempts are made to unite biological specification of natural cells and toughness of polymerized membranes via cell-vesicle fusion.
Macromolecular chemistry is far from being able to provide ultimate solutions for specific problems in membrane biology or life science in general. However in "going for it" polymer chemists can only benefit from the many chances to learn. The key attitudes to enjoy this advanture are courage to enter neighboring fields and, especially, the willingness to cooperate. This is perfectly illustrated in Fig. 1 by H. von Saalfeld and his artistic view of scientists and their unpretended willingness to cooperate.