Molecular Processes in Non-Newtonian Fluids

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9315906 Rotello This award is the starter grant increment of Dr. Rotello's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chemistry award. The focus of the research will be on molecular processes in non-Newtonian fluids. Solution organization will be used to model the ordered, yet dynamical environment created by protein and nucleic acid structures. The dynamic pockets formed in these solutions will provide many of the features present in enzymatic catalysis such as local concentration of reactants and conformational "pressure". The magnitude of these effects can be monitored by NMR and varied by modifying physical conditions such as spin rate and sample tube size. Molecular recognition and catalysis will also be studied in non-Newtonian solutions. %%% Non-Newtonian fluids are widespread in nature including blood, the interior of globular proteins and protoplasm. These typically aqueous polymer solutions vary their viscosity as a function of the applied stress. This research will address the fundamental nature of biological and synthetic polymers under non-Newtonian conditions. ***