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

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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.