The accumulation of amyloid fibrils is the hallmark of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. We use atomistic and coarse-grain simulations to explore the intricate dynamics and aggregation of α-synuclein and amyloid-β(42), the proteins associated with these disorders.
We represent α-synuclein as a chain of deformable particles that can adapt their geometry, binding affinities and rearranges...
Amyloid fibrils are the pathological hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, yet the mechanism of protein aggregation and fibrillization are not fully understood. Studying the protein aggregations in the microgravity/un-gravity condition can play a fundamental importance in discovering the aggregation mechanisms, and the influence of...
A transient state of the excess electron in liquid water preceding the development of the solvation shell, the so-called wet electron, has been invoked to explain spectroscopic observations, but its properties have remained elusive. Here, we carry out hybrid functional molecular dynamics to unveil the ultrafast mechanism leading to the hydrated electron. In the pre-hydrated regime, the...
The method of infrared nanospectroscopy and high spatial resolution imaging by photothermal induced resonance (PTIR) proved its viability and utility for many studies. We discuss our results on development of the method in visible spectral range. Its performance was enhanced by both factors: the coincidence of the resonant frequency of an AFM tip dithering with the laser pulse repetition...
Exploiting the benefits of the two types of forces from optical and acoustic trapping schemes in a single setup allows us to manipulate biological samples in a contact-free and non-invasive way. With our system we levitate sub-millimeter sized samples in solution on a microfluidic chip compatible with various optical imaging techniques. We have developed a 3D ultrasonic resonator with custom...
Crystallization is often suppressed by point defects due to larger impurity particles. Surprisingly, microgels can overcome this limitation: Large microgels can spontaneously deswell to fit into the crystal lattice of smaller but otherwise identical microgels. We find this unique reduction of polydispersity and particle deswelling to be triggered by a difference in osmotic pressure between the...
Optical coherence tomography/microscopy (OCT/OCM) techniques provide the possibility of high resolution non-invasive 3D imaging for various applications. This report presents the results of 3D full-field swept-source OCM imaging combining the advantages of numerical focusing beyond the optical focus depth and improved transverse resolution due to structured illumination and discusses the...
