Compensatory Roles of Electrostatics and Depletion Force on the Aggregation of Filamentous Viruses and Protein Filaments

聚集的物理机制与广泛的材料应用有关，例如食品、纸张、石油产品、化妆品和药物的加工。支撑各种聚集现象的是两个基本的物理机制，即溶液静电和耗尽效应。本计画的目的是定量地定义静电对蛋白质丝及丝状病毒聚集的补偿作用及消耗力。选择表征良好的生物聚合物进行物理性质的研究，在两个传统上独立的学科之间产生了科学探究的协同作用。实验技术的组合将被利用，包括光学显微镜，光散射，原子力显微镜，和小角度X射线散射。该项目的成功完成将导致实际应用，如蛋白质和病毒聚集体的操作方法，生物分子的分离以及人类疾病的潜在治疗。该项目的教育部分是一个生物物理学倡议，既有课堂教学，又有实验室培训。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了物理学和生物化学界面多学科技术的宝贵经验。一个特别的承诺是鼓励代表性不足的学生在学习和研究活动。聚集现象发生在液体食品、石油产品、化妆品和药物等广泛的材料中。这些现象的基础是两个基本的物理机制：（1）离子和带电分子之间的静电相互作用，以及（2）溶液中大量分子的恒定轰击和分选，描述为热力学术语中的熵效应。该项目旨在定量定义这两种主要效应对蛋白丝和丝状病毒聚集的补偿作用。选择表征良好的生物聚合物进行物理性质的研究，在两个传统上独立的学科之间产生了科学探究的协同作用。实验技术的组合将被利用，包括光学显微镜，光散射，原子力显微镜，和小角度X射线散射。该项目的成功完成将导致实际应用，如蛋白质和病毒聚集体的操作方法，生物分子的分离以及人类疾病的潜在治疗。该项目的教育部分是一个生物物理学倡议，既有课堂教学，又有实验室培训。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了物理学和生物化学界面多学科技术的宝贵经验。一个特别的承诺是鼓励代表性不足的学生在学习和研究活动。

The physical mechanisms of aggregation are relevant to a broad range of material applications such as the processing of food, paper, petroleum products, cosmetics, and drugs. Underpinning a variety of aggregation phenomena are two fundamental physical mechanisms, namely solution electrostatics and the depletion effect. This project seeks to quantitatively define the compensatory roles of electrostatics and the depletion force on aggregation of protein filaments and filamentous viruses. The selection of well-characterized biopolymers for the study of physical properties brings out a synergy in scientific inquiry across two traditionally separate disciplines. A combination of experimental techniques will be utilized, including optical microscopy, light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. A successful completion of the project will lead to practical applications such as methods for the manipulation of protein and virus aggregates, separation of biomolecules, and potential treatment of human diseases. The educational part of this project is a biological physics initiative with both classroom teaching and lab training. The project provides graduate and undergraduate students with valuable experience in multidisciplinary techniques at the interface of physics and biochemistry. A special commitment is made to encourage underrepresented students in the learning and research activities. Aggregation phenomena occur in a broad range of materials such as liquid food, petroleum products, cosmetics, and drugs. Underpinning these phenomena are two fundamental physical mechanisms: (1) the electrostatic interactions between ions and charged molecules, and (2) the constant bombardment and sorting of numerous molecules in solution described as the entropic effect in thermodynamic terms. This project seeks to quantitatively define the compensatory roles of these two major effects on the aggregation of protein filaments and filamentous viruses. The selection of well-characterized biopolymers for the study of physical properties brings out a synergy in scientific inquiry across two traditionally separate disciplines. A combination of experimental techniques will be utilized, including optical microscopy, light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. A successful completion of the project will lead to practical applications such as methods for the manipulation of protein and virus aggregates, separation of biomolecules, and potential treatment of human diseases. The educational part of this project is a biological physics initiative with both classroom teaching and lab training. The project provides graduate and undergraduate students with valuable experience in multidisciplinary techniques at the interface of physics and biochemistry. A special commitment is made to encourage underrepresented students in the learning and research activities.