Focus Articles

4th February 2019
Negative-staining TEM image of ß–lg aggregates formed at pH 5.8. Reproduced with permission from J. M. Jung et al., Biomacromolecules 9, 2477 (2008). Copyright (2008) American Chemical Society.

Formation and Use of Globular Protein Aggregates

Globular protein aggregates are used to texture aqueous systems either as gelling agents, viscosifiers or stabilizers of emulsions, e.g. in the food and cosmetics industries. Globular proteins are characterized by a rather rigid... (Read more)
5th July 2017
Switchable liquid crystal contact lens with graphene electrodes fabricated by the Leeds team. Copyright: Leeds University

From Novel Soft Materials to Switchable Contact Lenses

The use of liquid crystals is well established in displays used in smart phones and large area TVs. A new effect has been found in bent core liquid crystal compounds that form an... (Read more)
4th July 2017
In situ SERRS detection of quorum sensing pyocyanin in cultures of P. aeruginosa bacteria grown on plasmonic nanostructured materials. Copyright: Andrea La Porta

Non-Invasive, Label-Free Detection and Imaging of Quorum Sensing

The development of non-invasive methods for monitoring chemical communication in bacterial populations is important to provide fundamental insights into these processes as well as the necessary knowledge to manipulate these systems for applications... (Read more)
3rd July 2017
(i) LLPS heating BSA-YCl_3 samples above the lower critical temperature (gold star). Copyright: University of Tübingen

Proteins as Soft Matter: Interactions, Phase Behaviour and Health Research

Protein-protein interactions govern phase behaviour and stability in protein solutions. For this reason, they are relevant to the understanding of physiological and pathological processes, and crucial for the formulation and storage of biopharmaceuticals... (Read more)