Nanoscale Biophysics Group

Leonenko Lab 2019
Leonenko Lab (L to R): James, Morgan, Brenda, Zoya, Nanqin, Carina, Yue
Leonenko Lab at BSC 2019
Leonenko Lab attends the Biophysical Society of Canada Meeting in Mississauga (May 2019)
JPK Atomic Force Microscope
Imaging different proteins, lipids and membranes with the JPK NanoWizard II AFM
Langmuir Blodgett Trough
Using the Langmuir-Blodgett trough to compress lipid monolayers and measure surface phenomena
AistNT SmartSPM Atomic Force Microscopy
Kelvin probe force microscopy imaging with AIST-NT SmartSPM to visualize surface potential
Nicoya SPR
Measuring lipid-protein, protein-protein, and small molecule interactions using surface plasmon resonance

Research Program

  • Scope: Biophysics of lipids and lipid-protein interactions; role of structural changes and physical properties of lipid monolayers and bilayers in controlling biological processes and diseases; application of lipid films in biomedical nanotechnology
  • Current Research Projects: role of lipid membrane in amyloid toxicity in relation to Alzheimer's Disease; testing amyloid inhibitor drugs using single molecule atomic force spectroscopy, interaction of antimicrobial peptides with lipid membrane and lung surfactant; lipid-based drug delivery systems, developing novel biosensing platforms using lipid membrane and surface enhanced spectroscopy; quantum neuroscience
  • Methods: Optical, Fluorescence and Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) and AFM-based Force Measurements; Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer Technique; Surface Plasmon Resonance ( SPR), and Black Lipid Membrane (BLM) techniques. 
  • Research is funded by: , , ,
  • We are actively looking for commercial partners. Please contact Dr. Zoya Leonenko at zleonenk@uwaterloo.ca!

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