The membrane scaffold proteins (MSP) of the present invention assemble
with hydrophobic or partially hydrophobic proteins to form soluble
nanoscale particles which preserve native structure and function; they
are improved over liposomes and detergent micelles, in terms of stability
and preservation of biological activity and native conformation. In the
presence of phospholipid, MSPs form nanoscopic phospholipid bilayer
disks, with the MSP stabilizing the particle at the perimeter of the
bilayer domain. The particle bilayer structure allows manipulation of
incorporated proteins in solution or on solid supports, including for use
with such surface-sensitive techniques as scanning probe microscopy or
surface plasmon resonance. The nanoscale particles, which are robust in
terms of integrity and maintenance of biological activity of incorporated
proteins, facilitate pharmaceutical and biological research,
structure/function correlations, structure determinations,
bioseparations, and drug discovery.