The dynamics and characterization of self-assembly in biopolymers and biosystems

Abstract

Biological self-assembly is the foundation of the strength and elasticity which characterizes nature-derived biomaterials, including the cell’s architecture. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the mechanics behind this process can open the doors to various biomedical applications. For this purpose, this research employed novel experimental and characterization techniques to study self-assembly in biopolymers and biosystems. Initially, a droplet dissolution technique in liquid crystalline stages was used to analyze the process of self-assembly in two important biopolymers, silk and cellulose. Here, we report an effective and simple approach based on droplet dissolution in a liquid binary phas..