Structural stability of SoPIP2;1 aquaporin under reconstitution in polymersomes

In the present paper we show the preparation of polymersomes using ABA triblock copolymers with poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(2-methyloxazoline) blocks with the incorporation of SoPIP2;1 aquaporin in their structure. The presence of the protein in the polymersome membrane was demonstrated using imaging techniques, and the conformation of the protein into the membranes was assessed using Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The results suggest the presence of SoPIP2;1 aquaporin in a functional form which could be used for the preparation of Aquaporin-based membranes for water purification via reverse osmosis without the needed of liposome or lipidic-based reconstitution media.