Self-assembly as a research area investigates the spontaneous organization of components into ordered structures driven by local interactions and thermodynamic or kinetic principles, without direct external manipulation of each element. It encompasses molecular, nanoscale, and mesoscale systems where noncovalent forces (e.g., van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding) or specific binding interactions encode structural information. Research focuses on understanding design rules, energy landscapes, and defect formation, as well as developing programmable systems (e.g., DNA origami, block copolymers, colloidal crystals) for applications in materials science, nanotechnology, and biotechnology, often linking equilibrium self-assembly with nonequilibrium and hierarchical assembly processes.
Protein function and activity are determined by both their assembly and secondary structure. Abnormalities related to either protein aggregation or secondary structure can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. In a new study, ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 14, 2022
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82
When moving furniture, heavy objects are easier to move if you rotate them while pushing. Many people intuitively do this. An international research team from Konstanz (Germany), Trieste and Milan (Italy) has now investigated ...
Nanophysics
Jun 10, 2022
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141
Self-assembly is the spontaneous organization of building blocks into structures or patterns from a disordered state. Everyday examples include the freezing of liquids or the crystallization of salts. These self-assembly ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 7, 2022
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78
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers have created self-assembled, protein-based circuits that can perform simple logic functions. The work demonstrates that it is possible to create stable digital circuits that take advantage ...
Nanophysics
Apr 28, 2022
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486
A joint research paper from Chemnitz University of Technology and Shivaji University (India) titled "APTES monolayer coverage on self-assembled magnetic nanospheres for controlled release of anticancer drug Nintedanib" was ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 27, 2022
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128
Nature may abhor a vacuum, but it sure loves structure. Complex, self-organized assemblies are found throughout the natural world, from double-helix DNA molecules to the photonic crystals that make butterfly wings so colorful ...
Nanophysics
Apr 22, 2022
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1152
A large team of researchers at the University of Washington, working with colleagues from Université Montpellier and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has taken a major step toward the creation of an axle-rotor ...
A study led by Prof. Qiuyu Zhang (Northwestern Polytechnical University), Prof. Ki-Bum Lee (Rutgers University), and Prof. Liang Kong (School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University) has established an injectable ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 15, 2022
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234
Researchers from The Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology and The Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo used a new computer simulation to model the electrostatic self-organization of zwitterionic ...
Nanophysics
Apr 13, 2022
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106
From designing new biomaterials to novel photonic devices, new materials built through a process called bottom-up nanofabrication, or self-assembly, are opening up pathways to new technologies with properties tuned at the ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 13, 2022
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347
