Bonazzi, F.; Weikl, T. R.: Membrane-mediated interactions between arc-shaped particles strongly depend on membrane curvature. Nanoscale 17 (11), pp. 6841 - 6853 (2025)
Gao, J.; Hou, R.; Hu, W.; Weikl, T. R.; Hu, J.: Which coverages of arc-shaped proteins are required for membrane tubulation? The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 128 (19), pp. 4735 - 4740 (2024)
Kullmann, R.; Delbianco, M.; Roth, C.; Weikl, T. R.: Role of van der Waals, electrostatic, and hydrogen-bond interactions for the relative stability of cellulose Iβ and II crystals. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 128 (49), pp. 12114 - 12121 (2024)
Asadollahi, K.; Rajput, S.; de Zhang, L. A.; Ang, C.-S.; Nie, S.; Williamson, N. A.; Griffin, M. D. W.; Bathgate, R. A. D.; Scott, D. J.; Weikl, T. R.et al.; Jameson, G. N. L.; Gooley, P. R.: Unravelling the mechanism of neurotensin recognition by neurotensin receptor 1. Nature Communications 14, 8155 (2023)
Kav, B.; Weikl, T. R.; Schneck, E.: Measuring pico-Newton forces with lipid anchors as force sensors in molecular dynamics simulations. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 127 (18), pp. 4081 - 4089 (2023)
Weikl, T. R.: A protein curvature for sensing touch. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 119 (42), e2214536119 (2022)
Bonazzi, F.; Hall, C.; Weikl, T. R.: Membrane morphologies induced by mixtures of arc-shaped particles with opposite curvature. Soft Matter 17 (2), pp. 268 - 275 (2021)
Kav, B.; Demé, B.; Gege, C.; Tanaka, M.; Schneck, E.; Weikl, T. R.: Interplay of trans- and cis-interactions of glycolipids in membrane adhesion. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 8 (1047), 754654 (2021)
Pandey, P. R.; Różycki, B.; Lipowsky, R.; Weikl, T. R.: Structural variability and concerted motions of the T cell receptor - CD3 complex. eLife 10, e67195 (2021)
Różycki, B.; Weikl, T. R.: Cooperative stabilization of close-contact zones leads to sensitivity and selectivity in T-cell recognition. Cells 10 (5), 1023 (2021)
Kav, B.; Grafmüller, A.; Schneck, E.; Weikl, T. R.: Weak carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions in membrane adhesion are fuzzy and generic. Nanoscale 12 (33), pp. 17342 - 17353 (2020)
Weikl, T. R.; Hemmateenejad, B.: Accessory mutations balance the marginal stability of the HIV-1 protease in drug resistance. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics 88 (3), pp. 476 - 484 (2020)
Bonazzi, F.; Weikl, T. R.: Membrane morphologies induced by arc-shaped scaffolds are determined by arc angle and coverage. Biophysical Journal 116 (7), pp. 1239 - 1247 (2019)
Mobaraki, N.; Hemmateenejad, B.; Weikl, T. R.; Sakhteman, A.: On the relationship between docking scores and protein conformational changes in HIV-1 protease. Journal of molecular graphics and modelling 91, pp. 186 - 193 (2019)
Weikl, T. R.; Hu, J.; Kav, B.; Różycki, B.: Binding and segregation of proteins in membrane adhesion: theory, modeling, and simulations. Advances in Biomembranes and Lipid Self-Assembly 30, pp. 159 - 194 (2019)
Challenge: It's not just whether a membrane is in a "solid" or "liquid" state that matters—how tightly its molecules are packed also influences how protein-rich droplets (condensates) stick to it Finding: More tightly packed membranes push away condensates, while loosely packed ones attract them Impact: Understanding these interactions is key to grasping essential cellular functions and disease progression
Scientists can now predict structural colors in bacteria. By sequencing a wide range of bacterial DNA and developing an accurate predictive model, reseachers uncovered how bacteria organize themselves into specific patterns within colonies to interfere with light and create iridescence.Their findings hold great promise for sustainable, pigment-free color production.
Biomolecular condensates may play a crucial but overlooked role in remodeling membrane structures within cells. Rumiana Dimova and her team demonstrated that these droplets can shape parts of the endoplasmic reticulum into nanotubes and double-membrane discs without the need for specific curvature-molding proteins.
Imagine switching on a light and being able to understand and control the inner dynamics of a cell. This is what the Dimova group has achieved: by shining lights of different colors on replicates of cells, they altered the interactions between cellular elements. Controlling these complex interactions enables us to deliver specific drugs directly into the cells.
Little is known yet about the interaction between these biomolecular condensate droplets and the membrane-bound organelles. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam developed synthetic membraneless organelles and visualized what happens when they meet a membrane.
Prof Silvia Vignolini, Ph.D. is establishing the new Department "Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials". She is working at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology and materials science and perfectly complements the institute's profile of research on chemistry, materials and sustainability.