Segregation in Multicomponent Macromolecular Systems

多组分大分子系统中的分离

• 批准号: 0907781
• 负责人: Monica Olvera
• 金额: $ 46万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-15 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0907781&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Segregation; Multicomponent; Macromolecular; Systems

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research that will study pattern formation in fibers and in self-assembled gels with charged units and with competing interactions. Nanopatterns in gels of charged chains with self-attracting interactions will also be analyszed. Models will be developed to analyze the structure and thermodynamics of macromolecular assemblies which include charged ionic sites. A long-range goal of this work is improving our understanding of how biomolecules and other heterogeneous charged macromolecules assemble into robust functional structures, and this understanding can help us learn to fabricate novel biomimetic structures.Electrostatics self-assembly occurs in many technological and biological processes. The interaction of nucleic acids, which are strongly charged chains, with proteins composed of units with tunable degrees of charge, for example, generates self-healing heterogeneous nanostructures which are strongly dependent on ionic concentrations. Work supported by this grant will analyze the symmetry, including chirality, of charged nanopatterns formed by molecules assembled onto fibers as a function of salt concentration and pH value, and nanopatterns in charged gels in the presence of backbone self-attractions. Analytic and numerical calculations using coarse grained models will be compared with results from mesoscale simulations and to experiments. This work will provide guidelines to design complex networks, including DNA-hybrid sensors, via highly cooperative ionic phenomena.The grant will also support educational goals that will promote the development of scientists capable of solving challenging and relevant problems for society. The group participates in local educational programs at the high school level, as well as interacting with Hispanic professors in the US and Mexico. The PI is a member of the leadership council of the National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nano Science and Engineering where she participates in designing courses for the web and developing teaching road maps for middle schools and high schools.NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYBiomimetic functional materials are designed to mimic the biological molecules and macromolecules, and are of great importance in developing new technologies. This award supports research that will develop theoretical methods for modeling the structural and thermodynamic behavior of multicomponent ionic solutions containing heterogeneous molecules. The methods supported by this grant will provide guidelines for designing hydrogels with unique properties, and aid in the design of actuators and sensors for specific applications. The award will also support educational goals that will promote the development of scientists capable of solving challenging and relevant problems for society. The group participates in local educational programs at the high school level, as well as interacting with Hispanic professors in the US and Mexico. The PI is a member of the leadership council of the National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nano Science and Engineering where she participates in designing courses for the web and developing teaching road maps for middle schools and high schools.

该奖项根据 2009 年《美国复苏和再投资法案》（公法 111-5）提供资金。技术摘要该奖项支持理论研究，研究纤维和自组装凝胶中带电单元和竞争相互作用的图案形成。 还将分析具有自吸引相互作用的带电链凝胶中的纳米图案。 将开发模型来分析包含带电离子位点的大分子组装体的结构和热力学。 这项工作的长期目标是提高我们对生物分子和其他异质带电大分子如何组装成强大的功能结构的理解，这种理解可以帮助我们学习制造新颖的仿生结构。静电自组装发生在许多技术和生物过程中。例如，作为强电荷链的核酸与由带可调节电荷程度的单元组成的蛋白质相互作用，产生强烈依赖于离子浓度的自我修复异质纳米结构。 这项资助支持的工作将分析由组装到纤维上的分子形成的带电纳米图案的对称性（包括手性）作为盐浓度和 pH 值的函数，以及在主链自吸引存在的情况下带电凝胶中的纳米图案。 使用粗粒度模型的分析和数值计算将与介观模拟和实验的结果进行比较。 这项工作将为通过高度合作的离子现象设计复杂网络（包括 DNA 混合传感器）提供指导。这笔赠款还将支持教育目标，促进能够解决社会挑战和相关问题的科学家的发展。 该小组参与当地高中教育项目，并与美国和墨西哥的西班牙裔教授互动。 该 PI 是国家纳米科学与工程学习与教学中心领导委员会的成员，她参与设计网络课程并开发初中和高中的教学路线图。非技术摘要仿生功能材料旨在模拟生物分子和大分子，对于开发新技术具有重要意义。 该奖项支持开发理论方法来模拟含有异质分子的多组分离子溶液的结构和热力学行为的研究。 这笔赠款支持的方法将为设计具有独特性能的水凝胶提供指导，并有助于设计特定应用的执行器和传感器。 该奖项还将支持教育目标，促进能够解决社会挑战和相关问题的科学家的发展。 该小组参与当地高中教育项目，并与美国和墨西哥的西班牙裔教授互动。 PI 是国家纳米科学与工程教学中心领导委员会的成员，她参与设计网络课程并制定初中和高中的教学路线图。