Carlos Baiz, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, is a recipient of the Humboldt Fellowship, which allows him to conduct research in Germany. From May to August of this year, he will again be in the Heberle lab and continuing his investigation of the structures of cells and their chemical composition by developing new imaging techniques such as nano-infrared (nano-IR) spectroscopy.

Recently (June 2024 issue) he published a paper in the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry Journal dealing with the complexity and heterogeneity of cell membranes with a focus on lipid-lipid interactions, which already benefited from the collaborations of his Humboldt fellowship and the SFB 1078 regarding SEIRAS (surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy). The paper highlights recent advances in vibrational spectroscopy, including techniques such as surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy, two-dimensional sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, and two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, which allow detailed analysis of membrane structure and dynamics with femtosecond time resolution. The role of multiscale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and newly developed algorithms in interpreting complex spectra is also discussed, highlighting the challenges of studying heterogeneous multicomponent membranes using these methods. Overall, the review underscores the synergy between vibrational spectroscopy and MD simulations in elucidating lipid-lipid, lipid-protein, and lipid-water interactions within cell membranes.

Upon completing the fellowship, Baiz intends to leverage the experience he acquired in Germany to establish time-resolved nano-IR spectroscopy capabilities at UT Austin. Additionally, he is eager to meet and collaborate with students and researchers in Berlin.

Publication: Chen, X., Al-Mualem, Z.A. and Baiz, C.R. (2024). Lipid Landscapes: Vibrational Spectroscopy for Decoding Membrane Complexity. Annu Rev Phys Chem 75, 1: 283-305. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-090722-010230.