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.
Just as the human body relies on organs such as the heart or liver for essential functions, cells depend on their own tiny organs, or organelles, to carry out vital tasks, including transporting nutrients, removing waste, ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 30, 2026
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How did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins—once limited to just half of today's amino acids—could still form ...
Evolution
Apr 23, 2026
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Proteins are essential molecules in living systems. They move, interact and organize themselves to carry out a wide range of functions, from helping cells communicate to forming structures inside the cell. In many cases, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 23, 2026
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For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation. The models ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 20, 2026
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10
In biological systems, especially for protein molecules, the formation of nanotubular structures is often guided by molecular folding. The folding process organizes interaction sites and enables the formation of complex architectures ...
Nanophysics
Apr 20, 2026
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10
Cells are enveloped by a lipid membrane that gives them structure and provides a barrier between the cell and its environment. However, evidence has recently emerged suggesting that these membranes do more than simply provide ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 16, 2026
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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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9
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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