Focus on soft mesoscopics: physics for biology at a mesoscopic scale

Kroy, Klaus; Frey, Erwin

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/11/110203

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Cells, composed of many mesoscopic aggregates formed by molecules, have evolved a unique set of mesoscopic scale regulation tools to autonomously respond to complex environmental fluctuation to achieve the efficient regulation of homeostasis. [ 9,10 ] For instance, myoglobin could switch into oxygen‐combined conformations under thermal fluctuations to allow the passage of an oxygen molecule. [ 11 ] The strategy of “smart aggregates” is promising but is still in its infancy, which deserves further exploration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of Smart Aggregates: Toward Rapid Clinical Diagnosis of Hyperlipidemia in Human Blood

et al. 2022

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of macroscopic systems, reductionism is always employed: molecules are the smallest compositive units, and a whole (system) is nothing but the sum of its individual parts (molecules). [1] And based on this approach, many scientific rules and theorems such as the Beer-Lambert law are developed through experimental data in dilute solutions to avoid the interference of intermolecular interactions. [2,3] However, the behaviors and properties of molecules will be largely changed in concentrated solutions or in their aggregate state. For example, many aromatic compounds emit intensely in dilute solutions but become weakly emissive in the aggregate state, such a phenomenon is referred to as aggregation-caused quenching. [4] On the other hand, some molecules would act differently and show enhanced light emission when aggregated, such a behavior is called aggregation-induced emission (AIE). [5] These aggregates with mesoscale are important mediators for the transfer and amplification of macroscopic properties. Therefore, the paradigm shift from reductionism to aggregation science helps the study of exploiting and regulating their new properties. [6] Molecular aggregates with environmental responsive properties are desired for their wide practical applications such as bioprobes. Here, a series of smart near-infrared (NIR) luminogens for hyperlipidemia (HLP) diagnosis is reported. The aggregates of these molecules exhibit a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer effect in aqueous media, but aggregation-induced emission in highly viscous media due to the restriction of the intramolecular motion. These aggregates, which can autonomously respond to different environments via switching the aggregation state without changing their chemical structures are described, as "smart aggregates". Intriguingly, these luminogens demonstrate NIR-II and NIR-III luminescence with ultralarge Stokes shifts (>950 nm). Both in vitro detection and in vivo imaging of HLP can be realized in a mouse model. Linear relationships exist between the emission intensity and multiple pathological parameters in blood samples of HLP patients. Thus, the design of smart aggregate facilitates rapid and accurate detection of HLP and provides a promising attempt in aggregate science.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of Smart Aggregates: Toward Rapid Clinical Diagnosis of Hyperlipidemia in Human Blood

et al. 2022

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“…Mesoscale phenomena are at the core of current research in hard and soft matter systems [1,2]. The reason for this is at least twofold.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coarse Graining Nonisothermal Microswimmer Suspensions

Auschra

Chakraborty²,

Falasco³

et al. 2021

Front. Phys.

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We investigate coarse-grained models of suspended self-thermophoretic microswimmers. Upon heating, the Janus spheres, with hemispheres made of different materials, induce a heterogeneous local solvent temperature that causes the self-phoretic particle propulsion. Starting from molecular dynamics simulations that schematically resolve the molecular composition of the solvent and the microswimmer, we verify the coarse-grained description of the fluid in terms of a local molecular temperature field, and its role for the particle’s thermophoretic self-propulsion and hot Brownian motion. The latter is governed by effective nonequilibrium temperatures, which are measured from simulations by confining the particle position and orientation. They are theoretically shown to remain relevant for any further spatial coarse-graining towards a hydrodynamic description of the entire suspension as a homogeneous complex fluid.

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Structural analysis of confined monovalent salts: Combined effects of steric hindrance, surface charge representation, and dielectric response

Wang

Yang

Wang

2020

Electrochimica Acta

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Focus on soft mesoscopics: physics for biology at a mesoscopic scale

Abstract: The field of soft mesoscopics targets meso-structures in soft materials to elucidate the emergence of complex material behavior and biological function in soft and living materials. A snapshot of some activities in the field is provided by the contributions gathered in this focus issue.

Cited by 5 publications

References 39 publications

Design of Smart Aggregates: Toward Rapid Clinical Diagnosis of Hyperlipidemia in Human Blood

Design of Smart Aggregates: Toward Rapid Clinical Diagnosis of Hyperlipidemia in Human Blood

Coarse Graining Nonisothermal Microswimmer Suspensions

Structural analysis of confined monovalent salts: Combined effects of steric hindrance, surface charge representation, and dielectric response

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