This proposal covers a broad range of studies of model and real systems and of molecular structures and properties, all of potential or actual biomedical interest. Major reliance is placed on a wide variety of NMR methods, but with considerable input from other physical and chemical techniques. The systems employed include red blood cells and ghosts, several lyotropic liquid crystals and living tissues. Some typical experimental studies are directed toward: cell membrane permeabilities and their activation energies; kinetics and mechanisms of binding to membrane sites; the effects of pH, osmolality, drugs, etc., on the above; the characterization of partially ordered systems (liquid crystals) through quadrupolar splittings (2H) and shift anisotropies (13C); 31P and 13C NMR of living tissues; structural characterizations by NMR; etc. There is extensive collaboration with active investigators in the medical area.
