BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20250812T000928EDT-2538wR6Mff@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20250812T040928Z DESCRIPTION:Liquid-Liquid phase separation of macromolecules is ubiquitous in nature and implies\, in the most common form\, the demining of a macrom olecule rich-phase (often as droplets) from a macromolecules-depleted cont inuous phase. Liquid-liquid phase separation in the context of biomacromol ecules has been shown to be at the center of important cellular processes and is involved in the formation of the so-called membraneless organelles. In the case of filamentous colloids\, the process is similar in the outco me\, but fundamentally different in the ruling physics since the interacti ons among the biomacromolecules are essentially of liquid crystalline natu re. In this talk I will discuss our recent work on amyloid liquid-liquid c rystalline phase separation\, including the discovery of cholesteric phase s in amyloids fibrils and the new implications that this brings to the fie lds of liquid crystals and liquid-liquid phase separation in general. By s electing amyloid fibrils as model filamentous chiral colloids\, an unprece dented breadth of liquid crystalline morphologies is observed\, where up t o six distinct configurations of the nematic field are observed under iden tical conditions. Amyloid-rich droplets -also known as tactoids- nucleatin g from an isotropic phase via liquid-liquid phase separation show homogene ous\, bipolar\, radial\, uniaxial chiral and radial chiral nematic fields\ , with additional parabolic focal conics in bulk. Furthermore\, tactoids o f different symmetry undergo order–order transitions by flow-induced defor mations of their shape. Tactoids align under extensional flow\, undergoing extreme deformation into highly elongated prolate shapes\, with the chole steric pitch decreasing as an inverse power-law of the tactoids aspect rat io. Variational and scaling theories allow rationalizing the experimental evidence as a subtle interplay between surface and bulk energies and to de bate on the thermodynamic nature of theses transitions. Along with the rol e model in neurodegenerative diseases and vital cellular functions\, playe d by pathological and functional amyloids\, respectively\, these unique fi lamentous protein aggregates are also emerging as un unparallel model syst em to deepen our understanding of liquid-liquid phase separation and chira l liquid crystals under confinement\, opening to a more comprehensive expl oitation in advanced technologies and related functional materials.\n\n1. G Nyström\, M Arcari\, R Mezzenga\, Nature Nanotechnology 13\, 330 (2018) \n\n2. M Bagnani\, G Nyström\, C De Michele\, R Mezzenga\, ACS Nano 13\, 591 (2019)\n\n3. M Bagnani\, P Azzari\, S Assenza\, R Mezzenga\, Scientifi c Reports 9\, 1-9 (2019)\n\n4. H Almohammadi\, M Bagnani & R Mezzenga\, Na ture Communications 11\, 5416 (2020)\n\n5. P Azzari\, M Bagnani\, R Mezzen ga\, Soft Matter\, 17\, 6627 (2021)\n\n \n\nClick here to join zoom meetin g!\n  \n\n \n DTSTART:20211203T160000Z DTEND:20211203T173000Z SUMMARY:Liquid-Liquid Crystalline Phase Separation of Amyloid Fibrils URL:/miam/channels/event/liquid-liquid-crystalline-pha se-separation-amyloid-fibrils-334603 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR