Seminar - SCM
Exploring Complex Coacervation: From Biomolecular Interactions to Nanomaterials
Speaker: Pankaj Kumar Pandey (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)
Raman Research Institute
Bangalore
Webinar
Title: Exploring Complex Coacervation: From Biomolecular Interactions to Nanomaterials
Speaker: Pankaj Kumar Pandey (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)
Date & Time: Tuesday, 27 May 2025 at 2:00 pm
Venue: SCM Lecture hall
Abstract: Complex coacervation has emerged as a powerful model for studying the self-assembly of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) into biological condensates in cells. Coacervates are dynamic, membrane-like compartments that can be formed in many ways using oppositely charged peptides, tandem peptide motifs, polymer-peptide hybrids, nanostructures and peptide derivatives. Phase behavior and material properties of coacervates can be tuned by physical parameters and polymer chemistry. I will talk about how the stability, phase behaviour, and material properties of peptide-based coacervates are affected by charge patterning and hydrophobicity of peptides with regular repeating sequences. The results show that increasing the size of charged blocks enhances salt resistance via electrostatic cooperativity, while incorporating small hydrophobic segments further stabilizes coacervates and increases viscosity through hydrophobic clustering. In the second part of my talk, carbon dot nanomaterials have been the centre of considerable attention lately owing to their low toxicity and high biocompatibility, and eco-friendly nature. Carbon dots can easily be functionalized, and ideal for electrochemical applications and biosensing due to their natural fluorescence. Polyelectrolytes can self-assemble with nanoparticles like carbon dots to form UV-fluorescent coacervates. Fluorescence spectroscopy reveals that the blue fluorescence of the carbon dots is unaffected by coacervation. Fluorescent complex coacervates, formed through the interaction of nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes, hold a promising role for future therapeutic application where the combination of optical properties from the carbon dots and encapsulation via coacervation can be leveraged.
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