Nanoscale and microscale confinement of biopolymers naturally occurs in cells and has been recently achieved in artificial structures designed for nanotechnological applications. Here, we present an extensive theoretical investigation of the conformations and shape of a biopolymer with varying stiffness confined to a narrow channel. Combining scaling arguments, analytical calculations, and Mont...

We use passive and active techniques to study microrheology of a biopolymer solution. The passive technique is video tracking of tracer particles in the biopolymer, a technique which is well established. The active technique is based on rotating optical tweezers, which is used to study viscosity. A method to actively measure viscoelascity using time varying rotation of a particle trapped in opt...

Plants gums are complex mixtures of different polysaccharides with a variety of biological activities and pharmaceutical applications. Few studies have focused on physicochemical and biological properties of gums obtained from different plants. This study was designed to determine potential pharmaceutical and pharmacological values of the gum exudates and its isolated biopolymers obtained from ...

A new set of protein-like recombinant biopolymers with biomineralization and enhancement of cell response functions have been successfully synthesized. A simple method to strongly-anchor the biopolymers on metallic biosurfaces has been also developed. Coated dental and orthopedic implants will have improved, more stable, and faster integration in bone tissue. Partners to further develop the tec...

The formulation of a novel delivery system for ellagic acid formulated via layer-by-layer (Lb-L) electrostatic deposition of biopolymers onto soybean lecithin liposomes was achieved. Optimization of parameters affecting the formulation of biopolymer-coated liposomes was carried out by monitoring changes on its size, surface charge and morphology. Ellagic acid was loaded into the liposome core a...

We study the statistical mechanics of counterion Wigner crystals associated with hexagonal bundles of chiral biopolymers. We show that, due to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking induced by frustration, these Wigner crystals would be chiral even if the biopolymers themselves were not chiral. Using a duality transformation of the model onto a "spin-charge" Hamiltonian, we show that melting of t...

A binary mixture of starch-starch or starch with other biopolymers such as protein and non-starch polysaccharides could provide a new approach in producing starch-based food products. In the context of food processing, a specific adjustment in the rheological properties plays an important role in regulating production processing and optimizing the applicability, stability, and sensory of the fi...