Association of Neurotransmitters with Lipid Bilayer Membranes

Neurotransmission is the communication between adjacent nerve cells through the exchange of small molecules known as neurotransmitters. These molecules diffuse across the synaptic cleft to receptor proteins, where their association regulates the passage of ions through the membrane and nerve impulses. While the kinetics of these proteins' conformal states is well understood, there is theoretical and experimental evidence that neurotransmitters adsorb to the neuronal membrane and alter the free energy landscape of these receptors. In this thesis, I will discuss the use of

surface sensitive techniques to quantitatively measure the non-specific adsorption of neurotransmitters to model membrane systems.