"Weak Yet Strong: How “Minor” Molecular Differences Strongly Affect Properties"

This event is sponsored by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering.

Abstract: In this talk I will explored the role of “weak” interactions and their effect on different properties by introducing the audience to three different systems that range from purely synthetic to hybrid to purely biological, and expose how minor modifications that induce weak changes in the interactions can change the functional properties for all these systems in impressive ways. Both simulation and experimental results will be presented. I will start by exploring the glass transition of commonly used plastics, where I will introduce the role of “micro” polarity and its dramatic, and apparently, universal effects on Tg. Based on these findings, I will move onto the role that micro polarity plays in the formation of single polymer nano particles based on synthetic random heteropolymer compositions and discuss these findings as they apply to proteins. Finally, I will move to purely biological settings where I will show how weakly interacting molecules, and in particular amino acids, can alter fundamentally the thermodynamics of cellular media. I will finalize with a discussion on future avenues and consequences in light of these findings.

Alfredo Alexander-Katz

Professor, Department of Materials Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Speaker Bio: Alfredo Alexander-Katz is the Michael and Sonja Koerner Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. His group is focused on studying soft matter phenomena at the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics, from purely synthetic systems such as block copolymer self-assembly to biological systems such as proteinprotein interactions. Prof. Alexander-Katz has a BS and a PhD in Physics from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and the University of California at Santa Barbara respectively. He was an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellow in Munich, Germany, and a CNRS Postdoctoral Fellow in ESPCI, Paris, France. Prof. Alexander-Katz has won several awards including an NSF Career Award and a DOE Early Career Award, yet he is most proud of his mentoring awards including the Frank E. Perkins Award in Excellence in Graduate Advising from MIT.