Polymer Architecture - From Structure to Functional Control

Dynamin architecture--from monomer to polymer.

Dynamins form a family of eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins involved in membrane fission, fusion and restructuring. They have complex mechanisms of self-assembly, which are coupled to the tubulation and destabilization of lipid bilayers. Recent structural data has revolutionized our understanding and is now yielding detailed insights into dynamin structure, from monomer through to polymer. Tr...

From Functional Architecture to Functional Connectomics

"Receptive Fields, Binocular Interaction and Functional Architecture in the Cat's Visual Cortex" by Hubel and Wiesel (1962) reported several important discoveries: orientation columns, the distinct structures of simple and complex receptive fields, and binocular integration. But perhaps the paper's greatest influence came from the concept of functional architecture (the complex relationship bet...

Model-based Reactor Design to Control Branched Polymer Architecture

The 3D structural control of branched polymer architecture is an important future trend in polymer production technology. The Monte Carlo simulation technique based on the random sampling technique is used to explore the effect of reactor types on the branched polymer structure, formed through freeradical polymerization that involves chain transfer to polymer, leading to simultaneous long-chain...

Functional Films from Silica/Polymer Nanoparticles

High performance functional coatings, based on hybrid organic/inorganic materials, are being developed to combine the polymer flexibility and ease of processing with the mechanical properties and versatility of inorganic materials. By incorporating silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) in the polymeric matrices, it is possible to obtain hybrid polymer films with increased tensile strength and impact res...

Functional Polymer Nanocomposite Materials from Microfibrillated Cellulose