Date Approved

7-20-2026

Embargo Period

7-20-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Gregory A. Caputo, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Timothy D. Vaden, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Chun Wu, Ph.D.

Keywords

Daptomycin;Ionic Liquids;Membrane;Myoglobin;Protein;Spectroscopy

Abstract

Amphiphilic compounds play a key role in chemical biology due to their ability to associate with biochemical complexes through a diverse set of noncovalent interactions. Interactions between amphiphiles and biological targets elicit a wide array of modulatory effects, structural stability, and activity. However, due to the inherent complexity of these interactions, there has yet to be a broadly predictive framework for determining whether a given amphiphile-target interaction will be beneficial or deleterious. This thesis seeks to advance the mechanistic understanding of amphiphile-target interactions by investigating two distinct but unified systems. In the first study, the effects of fatty acid ionic liquids (FAILs) on protein structure and stability were investigated using the model α-helical protein myoglobin, providing insight into how hydrophobic environmental interactions influence protein folding and stability. In the second study, the role of environmental factors in the interactions of the FDA-approved amphiphilic antibiotic daptomycin with membranes was examined to determine the function of various daptomycin moieties in eliciting its bactericidal effect. Across both systems, spectroscopy was employed to probe these dynamic associations in real time. Together, these studies reveal how differences in amphiphile structure and molecular environment lead to nuanced shifts in association and subsequent outcomes. By integrating analysis of amphiphile interactions with model proteins and lipid membranes, this work aims to develop a predictive, mechanistically grounded framework for amphiphile-target interactions.

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