David Gidalevitz

  • Associate Professor of Physics

Education

B.S. Urals Technical University
Ph.D. Weizmann Institute of Science

Research Interests

My current research is focused on biomimetic membranes design and structure determination and investigation of fundamental properties of plasma cell membranes and peptide/protein/polymer interactions with cell membranes. Also I am actively involved in collaborative research projects with Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, and Israel Institute of Technology (Technion).

I am presently pursuing five research projects:

  • Antimicrobial peptides - investigating the mechanism of action.
  • Early stages of HIV-1 entry into the cell - insight into the viral fusion.
  • Peptoid mimics of lung surfactant proteins.
  • Ampetoids as biostable functional mimics of antimicrobial peptides.
  • Immunological attenuation via PEGilation of red blood cells - polymer/membrane interaction in "stealth" erythrocytes.


Experimental techniques used in my research include: Insertion assay Langmuir isotherms, epifluorescence microscopy, X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction.

Publications

  • "Peptoids that mimic the structure, function, and mechanism of helical antimicrobial peptides", Nathaniel P. Chongsiriwatana, James A. Patch, Ann M. Czyzewski, Michelle T. Dohm, Andrey Ivankin, David Gidalevitz, Ronald N. Zuckermann, and Annelise E. Barron, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A, submitted.
  • "In-situ characterization of lipid A interaction with antimicrobial peptides using surface X-ray scattering", Frances Neville, Chris S. Hodges, Chao Liu, Oleg Konovalov, and David Gidalevitz, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 2006, 1758, 232-240.
  • "Lipid discrimination by antimicrobial peptide LL-37: Insight into mechanism of action", F. Neville, M. Cahuzac, O. Konovalov, Y. Ishitsuka, K.Y.C. Lee, I. Kuzmenko, G.M. Kale, and D. Gidalevitz, Biophysical Journal, 2006, 90, No. 4, 1275-1287
  • "The Interaction of Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 with Artificial Biomembranes", F. Neville, M. Cahuzac, L.A. Nelson and D. Gidalevitz, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2004, 16, S2413-S2420
  • "Interactions of Protegrins with Gram-Negative Bacterial Membranes" D. Gidalevitz, Y. Ishitsuka, A. Muresan, O. Konovalov, A. J. Waring, R. I. Lehrer, and K.Y.C. Lee, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., 2003, 100, 6302-6307