All organisms are made to a large extent of soft matter - macromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides, or assemblies of small molecules such as lipids embedded in an aqueous environment. Understanding the role of order in soft matter presents a cha ...
When a nanoparticle (NP) is introduced into a biological environment, its identity and interactions are immediately attributed to the dense layer of proteins that quickly covers the particle. The formation of this layer, dubbed the protein corona, is in ge ...
Hyaluronan (HA) is an anionic, highly hydrated bio-polyelectrolyte found in the extracellular environment, like the synovial fluid between joints. We explore the extended hydration shell structure of HA in water using femto-second elastic second-harmonic s ...
Amyloid formation of the protein α-synuclein promotes neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. The normal function of α-synuclein includes synaptic vesicle transport and fusion, and the protein binds strongly to negatively charged vesicles in vitro. Here, ...
Ions interact with water via short-ranged ion-dipole interactions. Recently, an additional unexpected long-ranged interaction was found: The total electric field of ions influences water-water correlations over tens of hydration shells, leading to the Jone ...
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)2019