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.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have identified simple rules that explain how complex protein structures assemble correctly and remain functional over time, despite having many theoretically possible configurations. ...
Evolution
Apr 14, 2026
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Cells can be thought of as cities, with factories, a transport system, and lots of building activity. An international team led by scientists at the University of Groningen studied cells growing under different conditions ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 13, 2026
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10
Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold ...
Biotechnology
Apr 13, 2026
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Research and innovation in Texas A&M University's biomedical engineering department often centers around clinical impact on patients. Beyond the lab, however, some faculty are finding breakthroughs in the classroom.
Biotechnology
Apr 11, 2026
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Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 6, 2026
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10
Biomolecular condensates are tiny, droplet-like structures made up of molecules that help organize key processes in living organisms. Because they are so small and constantly changing, it has been difficult for scientists ...
Biotechnology
Mar 30, 2026
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Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous structures composed of metal ions (or clusters) and organic linker molecules—much like a molecular scaffold. Thanks to their high porosity and large surface area, MOFs can store ...
Nanomaterials
Mar 26, 2026
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10
An international research team led by scientists from Skoltech has developed a method to position molecules on the surface of ultrathin materials with unprecedented precision using molecular DNA self-assembly, enabling the ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 25, 2026
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Two parallel experiments in protein self-assembly produced strikingly different results, demonstrating that protein designers should consider incorporating physical forces now missing from even Nobel-prize-winning protein ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 16, 2026
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12
A new study has uncovered how an exceptionally scarce protein can orchestrate the assembly of large-scale gene-silencing structures inside cells, and what happens when that process breaks down. The findings, published today ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 4, 2026
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