Force-induced α-β transitions in coiled coil structures (B17*)

• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics ; Biomaterials ; Biophysics ; Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 189853844

A large number of biological materials contain alpha-helical coiled coils. These structures undergo a transition into ß-sheets when strained. The goal of this project is to mechanistically understand this transition under the constraint of an applied shear force. For this purpose, natural and synthetic coiled coils will be investigated to characterize the transition at the single-molecule and ensemble level, when the coiled coils are inserted into a hydrogel. The results will shed new light on the mechanism and functional relevance of ß-sheet structure formation in biological materials.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 102: Polymers under Multiple Constraints: Restricted and Controlled Molecular Order and Mobility
• Applicant Institution: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Kerstin Blank