Self-assembled Aggregates
Self-assembled Aggregates - Related Videos
10:10
Aggregates for Concrete and Asphaltic Mixes
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2023
Source: Roberto Leon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Concrete and asphalt are by far the most common construction materials used today. Concrete is a composite material consisting of cement, water, air, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregates. Fine aggregates are typically sands and coarse aggregates are natural or crushed rocks. Chemical admixtures to modify certain specific properties are also commonly used (i.e., superplasticizers to make the...
08:02
Promoting 3-D Aggregation of FACS Purified Thymic Epithelial Cells with EAK 16-II/EAKIIH6 Self-assembling Hydrogel
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Cited by 10 •
2016
This video demonstrates a protocol to enrich thymic epithelial cells (TECs) with density gradient for FACS isolation. It also shows the use of EAK16-II/EAKIIH6 peptides to promote the TEC aggregate formation. The microenvironments of EAK16-II/EAKIIH6 hydrogel provide the 3-D configuration necessary to maintain the survival and function of the TECs.
02:41
Protein Complex Assembly
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2020
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes. Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
11:36
Assembly, Loading, and Alignment of an Analytical Ultracentrifuge Sample Cell
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Cited by 21 •
2009
The analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC) sample cell holds sample and reference buffer and during experiments and is exposed to high vacuum and rotor speeds up to 60,000 rpm. This video will demonstrate the rigorous attention to detail necessary for assembly, loading and alignment of this very important component of an AUC experiment.
09:22
In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein
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Cited by 21 •
2015
Unmodified and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins were used in two in vitro aggregation assays to reveal the hyperphosphorylation-dependent fast aggregation kinetics. These assays pave the way for future screens for compounds that can modulate the propensity of hyperphosphorylated tau to form fibrils that underlie the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
FAQs
The hydrophobic effect, electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces collectively determine how molecular components associate. Their relative contributions influence whether components cluster into compact or extended structures and help establish the stability and organization of the resulting assembly. Understanding these interactions allows bioengineers to relate molecular chemistry to the architecture and function of a supramolecular material.
Concentration, solvent, pH, and temperature can shift the balance of interactions that supports assembly. Changing any of these variables may alter the size, shape, or organization of the structures that form. Researchers therefore treat environmental conditions as design parameters, adjusting them to favor a desired architecture and to tune properties relevant to a specific bioengineering application.
These components provide different chemical features and interaction patterns for building supramolecular structures. Amphiphilic molecules can organize through contrasting affinities within the surrounding solvent, while polymers, peptides, and proteins contribute their own combinations of hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen-bonding, or van der Waals interactions. Selecting among them helps researchers tune aggregate architecture and functional behavior.
Architecture affects the properties that determine how an aggregate functions. Micelles, vesicles, fibers, and other supramolecular forms provide different structural arrangements and therefore different opportunities for tuning size, cargo encapsulation, biocompatibility, and responsiveness. Choosing an appropriate architecture connects the assembly process to the requirements of drug delivery, biomaterials, tissue engineering, or biosensing.
A practical design workflow begins by selecting a suitable molecular or nanoscale building component, such as an amphiphile, polymer, peptide, or protein. Researchers then vary concentration, solvent, pH, and temperature to create conditions that favor association. These adjustments help guide formation toward structures such as micelles, vesicles, fibers, or other assemblies with tunable properties.
Self-assembled Aggregates can provide organized structures for incorporating and carrying molecular cargo. Their architecture and tunable properties may improve cargo encapsulation, while environmental sensitivity can support responsiveness under selected conditions. These features make the assemblies relevant to drug-delivery design, where researchers seek materials that combine controlled organization with useful biological compatibility.
In bioengineering, these assemblies also support biomaterials, tissue engineering, and biosensing applications. Their tunable size, architecture, biocompatibility, and responsiveness allow researchers to match supramolecular structures to different functional needs. The same interaction-driven assembly principles can therefore produce materials for biological environments, sensing systems, or engineered tissue contexts rather than serving only as cargo carriers.