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、化妆品和药品的加工。支撑各种聚集现象的是两种基本的物理机制，即溶液静电和耗尽效应。这个项目试图定量地确定静电学和耗尽力对蛋白质细丝和丝状病毒聚集的补偿作用。选择具有良好特性的生物聚合物来研究物理性质，带来了跨越两个传统独立学科的科学研究的协同效应。将综合运用各种实验技术，包括光学显微镜、光散射、原子力显微镜和小角X射线散射。该项目的成功完成将导致实际应用，如操纵蛋白质和病毒聚集体的方法，分离生物分子，以及潜在的人类疾病治疗。这个项目的教育部分是一项生物物理倡议，包括课堂教学和实验室培训。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了在物理和生物化学相结合的多学科技术方面的宝贵经验。特别承诺鼓励代表人数不足的学生参加学习和研究活动。聚集现象广泛存在于液体食品、石油产品、化妆品和药品等材料中。这些现象的基础是两个基本的物理机制：(1)离子与带电分子之间的静电相互作用；(2)大量分子在溶液中的持续轰击和分选，在热力学上被描述为熵效应。这个项目试图定量地确定这两个主要影响对蛋白质细丝和丝状病毒聚集的补偿作用。选择具有良好特性的生物聚合物来研究物理性质，带来了跨越两个传统独立学科的科学研究的协同效应。将综合运用各种实验技术，包括光学显微镜、光散射、原子力显微镜和小角X射线散射。该项目的成功完成将导致实际应用，如操纵蛋白质和病毒聚集体的方法，分离生物分子，以及潜在的人类疾病治疗。这个项目的教育部分是一项生物物理倡议，包括课堂教学和实验室培训。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了在物理和生物化学相结合的多学科技术方面的宝贵经验。特别承诺鼓励代表人数不足的学生参加学习和研究活动。

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.