Polymers: random coils and beyond
Congratulations to Monika. She defended her thesis successfully and completed the additional training program of our integrated research training group.
Title: Biophysikalische Untersuchungen an Amyloidfibrillen
Date: 19.06.2017 at 4.15pm
Location: SR 2.12, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 1, 06120 Halle
The aggregation of peptides into amyloid fibrils, desired or undesired, plays an important role in biological systems. Amyloid-forming peptides are soluble in its native state and aggregate under certain circumstances via intermediates to insoluble fibrils with characteristic cross-β-sheet structure. This aggregation is believed to be connected with several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, it is not yet clear if the oligomeric intermediates or the mature fibrils are the toxic species or if amyloid fibrils are just a side product in the development of these diseases.
For many young scientists writing is the most difficult part of research work. Poor structure, breakneck formulations and unclear argumentation lead to texts which are not too user friendly. However, for the success of academics it is essential that the content is successfully conveyed to the relevant target groups – from the subject community to the wider public.
The methods and instruments of scientific writing can be learnt. With a few select mechanisms for structuring and techniques for building arguments, it becomes possible to articulate even complex data clearly and comprehensibly. Coherently built up and convincingly formulated, even academic texts can be an exciting read!
Depending on the presence or absence of an αC-relaxation it is possible to distinguish between crystal-mobile and crystal-fixed semi-crystalline polymers. Only crystal-mobile polymers own a certain chain mobility in the crystalline phase. In contrast to the crystal-fixed polymer Polycaprolactone (PCL), we analyze the impact of the αC-relaxation for two representatives of αC-mobile polymers, Polyethylenoxide (PEO) and Polyoxymethylene (POM), using different methods like SAXS and Flash-/DSC.
The second Soft Matter Day, organized by the Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, will take place on 23 June 2017 at the Theoretical Lecture Hall of the Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Linnéstr. 5, Leipzig. It aims at stimulating scientific exchange and interactions among the groups of the institute and the Leipzig groups that do related work in this field.
Title of thesis: Fluorophilicity in Biologically Relevant Systems Studied with Fluorinated Rhodamines
Date of defence: April 21, 2017
Research topic: Amphiphilic block copolymers synthesis
Methods:
Congratulations to Mark. He defended his thesis successfully and completed the additional training program of our integrated research training group.
Title: Fluorophilicity in Biologically Relevant Systems Studied with Fluorinated Rhodamines
Date: 21.04.2017 at 1.00pm
Location: SR 5.09 , Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, 06120 Halle
Amyloidogenic peptides aggregated to large molecular assemblies are a hallmark of several diseases including Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s disease as well as type II diabetes. Although each of these diseases gives rise to a very distinctive clinical picture, amyloid fibrils share the cross-β structure as a common structural motif. Within this motif, the peptide strands are linked via lateral β-sheet-turn-β-sheet structures that result in fiber-like aggregates with diameters of a few nanometers and lengths up to several micrometers.
The central question that will be addressed is how electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions compete within the central core region of Aβ(1-40) fibrils. (more…)
Felix Hoffmann on “Competition between Electrostatic and Hydrophobic Forces in the Central Core Region of Amyloid β Fibrils” (abstract)
Martha Schulz on “Effects of molecular dynamics on morphology and properties of αc-relaxation” (abstract)
Torsten John on “Amyloid peptide aggregation near gold interfaces and membranes” (abstract)
Mareen Schäfer on “NMR investigations of dynamics in the different phases of semicrystalline polymers” (abstract)
Tobias Thalheim on “Thermophoretic trapping of single molecules ” (abstract)
Chanita Sungkapreecha on “Phase behavior of polymer/mosquito repellent system PLA/DEET” (abstract)
